The International Red Cross has posted a video interview with Huseyin Oruc, of the IHH, about ‘humanitarian principles’ and the Gaza flotilla:
IHH boast of only working amongst Palestinians via Hamas (June 2010):
“We only work through Hamas, although we don’t limit our aid to its followers,” he said. “We consider Israel and the United Nations to be the terrorists, not Hamas.”
Here an IHH official speaks of being prepared to become martyrs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gWm_yusBR5Y
The passengers aboard the ship were all prepared for this outcome. They all wanted to become martyrs. They were prepared. Our goal was to reach Gaza or die without achieving that. They were all prepared. All the people on the ship were prepared and the humanitarian aid organisation (IHH) was prepared for that.
Two Hamas members were received by IHH in Turkey.
Kaya’s remarks came as he received two officials from Hamas Movement, MP Dr. Mohammed Shehab, and Jamal Skeik who hailed the Turkish noble stands in supporting the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in alleviating the burden of the unjust Israeli siege on it.
Both Hamas officials also welcomed the release of Izzat Shahin, the IHH representative in the West Bank, after the IOF troops arrested him a couple of weeks ago.
“We in Hamas Movement follow up all the help and efforts extended by the Turkish humanitarian foundations, and we are eagerly waiting for the arrival of the convoy, which is the biggest of its kind since the Israeli embargo was imposed on the Gaza people…and we are also determined like you to break the siege with all means”, underlined Shehab during the meeting.
The IHH President was investigated by Turkish authorities following suspicions of him financing Al Qaeda (June 2012):
Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH) President Bülent Yıldırım is being investigated for allegedly financing al-Qaeda through his organization, daily Habertürk has reported.
The probe, led by an Istanbul specially authorized prosecutor, accuses Yıldırım of “providing financial aid to al-Qaeda via his foundation” with absolute secrecy, reportedly without official numbering and identification.
Here, humanitarians chant for the defeat of the Jews in battle:
Okay so they hate Jews, but at least they were trying to help Gazans, right?
The medicine was out-of-date, as the Red Cross themselves must have acknowledged:
Hamas’ spokesman in Gaza, Fawzi Barhoum […] also noted that “a lot of the medicine” included in the aid cargo had already expired between February and November 2009.
“The Red Cross will have to decide whether they will get into the Gaza Strip,” he said.
He said Israel was willing to allow also the cement to enter Gaza if used for specific reconstruction projects supervised by international organizations, to ensure it would not be used by Palestinian militants for building fortifications or weapons smuggling tunnels.
He noted that “a lot of the medicine” on board had expiry dates that had already passed, including February 2009, April 2009, May 2009 and November 2009.
If an IHH flotilla passes for humanitarian aid, standards seem to have really slipped at the International Red Cross.
