This marked the seventh ship intercepted by the Israel Navy in the
Mediterranean since May 31. All of the vessels were sent to break the siege
of the Gaza Strip, imposed by Egypt and Israel since the Hamas takeover in
2007.
Officials said the latest ship, Rachel Corrie, ignored calls by three
Israel Navy vessels to dock in Ashdod and transfer its humanitarian cargo to
the Gaza Strip through Israel. Later, naval commandos boarded the ship in an
operation directed by Israel Navy commander Vice Adm. Eliezer Marom.
"The closure of the Gaza Strip prevents the smuggling of arms to the
Hamas terror organization and ensures the security of vessels traveling in
the area," the military said.
On June 4, the United States urged passengers of the Rachel Corrie not
to resist the Israel Navy. The administration of President Barack Obama said
the cargo aboard the vessel should be sent to the Gaza Strip via Israel.
"We strongly encourage those on board the Rachel Corrie and other
vessels to sail to Ashdod to deliver their materials to Gaza," White House
spokesman Mike Hammer said.
Officials said the 1,200-ton Rachel Corrie contained 19 people,
including a crew of eight. They said the passengers and crew — who came
from Ireland and Malaysia — would be questioned and released.
On May 31, nine people, eight of them Turkish nationals, were killed, in
an Israel Navy interception and seizure of the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara.
The Israeli military has released videos of an arsenal of knives, swords,
firebombs and clubs used by an estimated 100 Turks trained to resist the
boarding operation.
"The different outcome we saw today underscores the difference between
peace activists who we disagree with but respect their right to express
their different opinion and flotilla participants [on the Mavi Marmara] who
were violent extremist supporters of terrorists," Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 5.
ShareThis
