Irish-owned vessel boarded without incident
Last Updated: Saturday, June 5, 2010 /4:05 PM ET : CBC News : Israeli forces boarded a Gaza-bound ship Saturday, preventing the Irish-owned vessel from breaking through a naval blockade of the territory ruled by Hamas.
Israel first sent four warnings to the MV Rachel Corrie — named after an American activist killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in 2003 — telling the crew to sail to the nearby Israeli port of Ashdod.
The 1,200-tonne vessel was carrying aid, along with 11 pro-Palestinian activists and nine crew members as it was intercepted in international waters, about 30 kilometres from Gaza's shore.
Israeli forces avoided a repeat of Monday's events on the Turkish aid ship Mavi Marmara as it escorted the Irish ship to Ashdod.
Military spokeswoman Lt.-Col. Avital Leibovich said Saturday's takeover took just minutes as the ship's captain gathered passengers in one area of the vessel, presumably to avoid violence.
She said commandos clambered onto the boat by sea, instead of descending from helicopters as occurred Monday when commandos were attacked and nine activists were killed.
Netanyahu fears 'Iranian port'
After the latest takeover at sea, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled he is determined to enforce the naval blockade, saying he would "not allow the establishment of an Iranian port in Gaza."
Iran is one of Israel's most implacable foes and supplies weapons and cash to Hamas.
Netanyahu said Israel's three-year-old blockade of Gaza is meant to keep weapons out of the hands of Hamas.
Egypt has helped enforce the blockade on land, but President Hosni Mubarak ordered the passenger terminal with Gaza to open daily, instead of sporadically, after last Monday's raid.
The U.S. had adopted a gradual approach of persuading Israel to ease restrictions but said Friday it was working "urgently" with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and other international partners to develop new procedures for delivering more goods to Gaza while blocking the entry of weapons.
With files from The Associated Press
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/06/05/israel-gaza-ship-intercepted.html#ixzz0pw6kByCr
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