Israeli gunboats intercept “Rachel Corrie”

Israeli gunboats intercept “Rachel Corrie”

GAZA, — Israeli navy gunboats on Saturday intercepted the Irish aid Ship “Rachel Corrie” and ordered it to head to Ashdod port but the captain of the ship refused, saying that his destination is Gaza port.

Reuters quoted a spokesman for the solidarity activists on board the vessel as saying that the soldiers did not board the ship but were following it in frigates and gunboats.

The Israeli government following a meeting for the mini-cabinet on Friday decided not to allow the ship to reach Gaza.

The Irish foreign ministry said that it had reached a deal with Israel by which the ship would anchor at Ashdod and the cargo would be unloaded, searched under Irish and UN supervision then carried to Gaza via land route.

However, the ministry said that the passengers on board the ship have refused the deal, despite affirming they did not plan to resist the Israeli commandos.

Six Malaysians are aboard the ship including a lawmaker, five Irish citizens and media teams along with its eight-member crew a Briton, a Cuban and six Filipinos.

The European campaign for ending the siege on Gaza warned the Israeli authorities against assaulting the ship, recalling that it was part of the Freedom Flotilla but delayed its arrival due to technical problems.

Arafat Madi, the head of the campaign and one of the organizers of the Freedom Flotilla, expressed concern that the same atmosphere that preceded the attack on the Flotilla was now taking place such as jamming contacts with the ship.