The captain of an Iranian ship says his objective is to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and has no intention to cut his mission short.

"We started moving toward the Gaza port three days ago under the escort of Israeli Navy ships. We were then returned to international waters. With the promises we have been given, I hope that we will be able to deliver the cargo either through Gaza or an Egyptian port in the next few days," the captain of the Iranian ship Shahed, Goudarz Ghaleh-Golab, told Press TV on Saturday.

He added, "We will be waiting until we accomplish the mission. Our objective is to deliver the cargo to the Gazans."

According to Captain Ghaleh-Golab, the Iranian consulate is pursuing the case and negotiating with Egyptian officials to persuade Israel to allow the humanitarian cargo entry into Gaza.

He expressed hope that "they will be able to come to a good decision", saying he expects to dock in Gaza in the next two days.

On Wednesday, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Iranian ship holding an estimated 2,000 tons of medical and food supplies for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, 20 miles off the coast.

A state's territorial seas extend only 12 nautical miles (22 km) from its baseline.

Tehran has also officially expressed its readiness to treat wounded Palestinians at hospitals within Iran and to establish field hospitals in Egypt, near Gaza.

Tel Aviv has been carrying out air and ground operations in Gaza since December 27. At least 1,215 Palestinians have been killed during the offensive, while more than 6,000 others have been wounded.

According to Tel Aviv, the current war on Gaza is aimed at ending rocket attacks against Israeli settlers, toppling or at least weakening Hamas and preventing the resistance group from rearming.

Hamas, the democratically-elected government of Gaza, however, demands the cessation of the Israeli attacks and the opening of the Gaza border points -- which have been closed due to the 18-month blockade imposed on the strip by Tel Aviv -- before it ends its rocket attacks.

SF/JG/AA