Region | Palestinian Territories

Aid ship Rachel Corrie 'intercepted' by Israeli troops: Gaza committee

The boat had ignored Israeli orders to divert to Israel's Ashdod port where Israel had offered to unload the cargo and deliver it to Gaza after inspecting it.

The MV Rachel Corrie
  • This October 29, 2009 file photo shows the inauguration of the MV Rachel Corrie, a boat carrying some 750 tonnes of aid towards the blockaded Gaza Strip.
  • Image Credit: AFP/freegaza.org
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Occupied Jerusalem: Israel's navy boarded another aid ship on Saturday to enforce a blockade of Gaza five days after its troops seized a Turkish aid boat, despite Washington saying the policy was "unsustainable".

The Israeli navy, whose killing of activists on Monday triggered an international outcry, took control of the Rachel Corrie without incident, the Israeli military said.

The legal framework of International Law
Read special coverage: Sailing to Gaza

The boat had ignored Israeli orders to divert to Israel's Ashdod port where Israel had offered to unload the cargo and deliver it to Gaza after inspecting it.

"There was no violence or injuries amongst the soldiers or the crew, as the use of force was unnecessary and no shots were fired," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement saying: "Forces used the same procedures for Monday's flotilla and Saturday's sailing but was met by a different response.

"On today's ship and in five of the six vessels in the previous flotilla, (their boarding) procedure ended without casualties. The only difference was with one ship where extremist Islamic activists, supporters of terrorism, waited for our troops on the deck with axes and knives."

Read special coverage: Sailing to Gaza

Carrying Irish and other activists, the ship was the latest to attempt to break the four-year old blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza with the stated aim of stopping its Hamas rulers from strengthening their arsenal to fight the Jewish state.

"Israel will continue to exercise its right to self defence. We will not allow the establishment of an Iranian port in Gaza," Netanyahu's statement added.

"This has been another brazen act of Israeli piracy on the High Seas," said Kevin Squires, national coordinator of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign in Dublin, one of whose members was aboard the boat named after a pro-Palestinian activist killed in Gaza in 2003.

Friends and foes alike have heaped criticism on Israel this week over the blockade. Israel's main ally, the United States, has expressed more sympathy than most for its security concerns but has also spoken of the need for Palestinians in Gaza to receive adequate supplies.

"We are working urgently with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and other international partners to develop new procedures for delivering more goods and assistance to Gaza," a spokesman for the White House National Security Council said.

"The current arrangements are unsustainable and must be changed. For now, we call on all parties to join us in encouraging responsible decisions by all sides to avoid any unnecessary confrontations," he added in a statement.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay increased the pressure on Israel, saying the embargo, which has blighted the lives of the 1.5 million people, was illegal and should be lifted.

"International humanitarian law prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and ... it is also prohibited to impose collective punishment on civilians," she said.

Already buffeted by a series of diplomatic storms over the last year, analysts expect Israel to at least modify the blockade. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering some form of international role in enforcing an arms embargo, while letting in civilian goods, Israeli officials have said.

Israel has also faced calls for an international probe into the incident. Israeli officials have proposed a foreign role in an Israeli inquiry.

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  1. Added 06:38 June 5, 2010

    Hamas wants death of Israel. People around world, especially Muslims should urge Hamas to negotiate with Israel and attain Peace. This itself will reduce the burden on the world community and reduce tension for all humanity. We should remember , the policies of Taliban. These sort of attitudes will lead the world to another war.

    Sethu Madhavan, Canada, Canada

  2. Added 04:48 June 5, 2010

    The media ,the activist everyone is trying to gain levergae of this issue.Everything sells so be it bombings,live carnage etc. Just need to understand why the acitivists tried to manhandle Isreali commandos?were they not aware of the consequences or was it purposly done.As reported by international media the activist were the one who started off the fury,they had put the life of all other people on board at risk.I don't even undesratnd why there is so much pomp and show to deliver aid ,just ship it through an aid organisation It was bad planning and so called internationalization of gaza blocade will pay no heed to Israel and in a way the things have only become difficult for palestinians.

    Sum, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 00:45 June 5, 2010

    It is annoying to note that sometimes media sensationalism about this story. Been once volunteered for Gaza and share the pain my brother Palestinians suffrers from their oppressors. Wish I could do much besides volunteering. MOST OF THE TIME information makes one's decision on a particular issue, if one is misinformed he will still believe in it. For the media covering this story...JUST BE RESPONSIBLE TO put an end and MAKE A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN CONFLICTS......PLEASE?

    jhel Villaruel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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