DHAKA: A Turkish ship carrying 11,000 tones of humanitarian aid for residents of the Gaza Strip has arrived in the Israeli port of Ashdod.

It is the first aid ship Turkey has sent to Gaza since 2010, when Israeli commandos raided an aid flotilla leaving 10 Turkish activists dead, reports the BBC.

That incident put a rift between the countries which lasted for years.

But they agreed to restore relations last week in a deal that was signed on Tuesday.

The Lady Leyla ship was carrying food, clothing and toys intended to arrive in Gaza in time for Eid celebrations marking the end of Ramadan.

It has been unloaded at Ashdod and the aid donations will be transported overland through Israel to Gaza.

An Israeli spokesperson, Oren Rosenblatt, said, ‘This is an immediate implementation of the agreement between Israel and Turkey that was signed only four days ago’.

‘There is a special effort by the Israeli government to speed up the process in order that some of the goods will be delivered tomorrow to Gaza before the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.’

Part of the deal agreed on 27 June was that Israel would allow Turkey to send aid to Gaza and carry out infrastructure projects there.

The two countries will appoint ambassadors and restore diplomatic ties.

BDST: 1203 HRS, JUL 04, 2016
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