Tehran , Iran ( CNN ) -- Iran will not send a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as it had planned to do on Thursday , according to a report from the official news agency of Iran . The Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Hossein Sheikholeslam , secretary-general of the International Conference for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada , as saying : `` The Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid will not go to Gaza . '' IRNA said that Sheikholeslam told reporters in the northern city of Rasht that the ship had originally been scheduled to depart for Gaza on Thursday , but that its departure was postponed until Sunday because of restrictions imposed by Israel . He added that officials then decided instead to cancel the trip altogether , shipping to Gaza the goods by other means , IRNA said . `` The Zionist regime has made helping the people of Gaza , who are under siege , a political issue and we do not wish to politicize this kind of humanitarian aid because first and foremost we want the siege of Gaza to be broken , '' he said , according to the news agency . `` The Zionist regime has sent a letter to the U.N. saying that the presence of Iranian and Lebanese ships in the Gaza area will be considered a declaration of war on that regime and it will react to it . '' He added : `` In order to deprive the Zionist regime of any excuse , the aid collected for the oppressed people of Gaza will be delivered to them by other means without mentioning the name of Iran . '' In a posting on the Israel Defense Forces website , the chief of the general staff said Israel has `` a natural right to inspect and to prevent the flow of weapons into the Gaza Strip . '' `` If anyone is bothered by the situation in the Gaza Strip and wants to transfer medical supplies there , they can respect our guidelines and go through to the Ashdod port , '' Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Tuesday , according to the IDF . `` We will inspect them , and if we can we will transfer them in . '' Ashkenazi added , `` It is important that we maintain this right and we can not let the Gaza Strip turn into an Iranian port . '' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this month Israel 's plans to ease its blockade of Gaza , a step commended by major powers and brushed off by Palestinian leaders . Palestinian officials said the steps were an improvement but called for the blockade to be completely lifted and the Israeli occupation ended . Israel 's announcement came three weeks after ships in Israel 's naval blockade sparred on May 31 with a flotilla of aid ships heading to Gaza . Israel 's military stopped the flotilla , killing nine Turkish activists on one of the ships in the incident , which drew international condemnation . Israel said its troops were attacked with knives , metal poles and other objects on one of the boats ; the boat 's passengers said they were fired upon without provocation . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this story from Tehran .
Tehran will not send ship to Gaza . No sanctions imposed by Israel . Iran defends right to prevent entry of weapons into Gaza .