The Foreign Ministry held a press conference for the foreign media. Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar-Tal said that Israel accepted the Italian government's offer to unload the aid at the Cyprus port and from there transfer it to Gaza - but the flotilla organizers rejected the offer. It was also claimed that Israel even offered to dock at the Ashkelon marina or at any port in a neighboring country, unload the aid there and transfer it to Gaza - but this offer was also rejected. Bar-Tal said that "the flotilla's refusals prove once again that the true purpose of the flotilla is not the delivery of humanitarian aid, but provocation and service to Hamas."