Boats that will sail to challenge the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip will delay for one week due to bad weather in the Mediterranean, a Palestinian official said on Wednesday.

"The strong winds and the bad climate prevent the Liberty and Free Gaza vessels from sailing to Cyprus at time," said Jamal al-Khodary, an independent parliamentarian who heads a lobby against the siege.

The vessels were scheduled to sail from the Greek island of Crete to Cyprus today and then to start their voyage to the Gaza Strip. They are scheduled to arrive into Gaza next Thursday.

Al-Khodary said that the two boats carry about 40 international human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and peace activists from Free Gaza Movement. They are intended to break the blockade which Israel imposed on Gaza last year in a bid to isolate Hamas.

Hamas took over the coastal Strip after it routed forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and ousted his long-dominant Fatah.

Local observers say the sanctions did not affect Hamas which controls the coastal Strip. Instead, the ordinary people paid the price of the embargo.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)