MV Amalthea

MV Amalthea (built 1985) is a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship owned by A.C.A. Shipping in Greece.[1]

History
Name: Amalthea
Owner: A.C.A. Shipping Corp. (Greece)[1]
Port of registry: Giurgiulesti, Moldova
Builder: Sanyo shipyard, Japan
Completed: 1985
Identification: ERJI
Status: Under charter
General characteristics
Class and type: General Cargo: single-decker
Tonnage: 2822 (GT)
Length: 91.6 m
Beam: 15.6 m
Draught: 6.2 m
Depth: 7.45 m
Installed power:
  • 2300 bhp @ 180 rpm
  • (Akaska)
Speed: Approx. 10 knots
Capacity:
  • 197,000 cubic feet
  • (Grain cargo capacity)

In 2010, Amalthea was chartered by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation (GICDF), a Libyan charity organization headed by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Renamed Hope for the voyage, it left the port of Lavrio, Greece around 8 pm on 10 July 2010 carrying 2,000 tons of food, medical supplies[2] and pre-fabricated houses.[3] Israel requested the United Nations to prevent Libyan sponsored Gaza-bound marine vessel from "violating the existing naval blockade on the Gaza Strip".[4] The ship docked at the port of El Arish, Egypt on 14 July[5] from where the supplies were reportedly to be taken to Gaza by road. The humanitarian aid and supplies were donated by Greek companies and charities.[2] "We got the grapes, so why kill the vineyard guard?" Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, GICDF chairman, explained the agreement of Libya to transfer fifty million US dollars through UNRWA for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.[6] According to reports the deal was brokered by Martin Schlaff, who is thought to have close ties to leaders in both Israel and Libya.[7]

References
  1. ACA Shipping
  2. World datelines | Deseret News: "Greece: Ship Egypt-bound." 10 July 2010
  3. BBC News: "Israel warships monitoring Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship." 14 July 2010
  4. Israel requests the UN to prevent Libyan aid ship from violating blockade Archived 11 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  5. BBC News: "Libyan ship with Gaza aid arrives in Egyptian port"
  6. Gaddafi Jr.: Libya to funnel $50M to Gaza
  7. Libyan aid for Gaza -- a success story?

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