Navy moves to intercept latest Gaza flotilla
Israeli navy approaches two-boat flotilla headed for Gaza, after establishing contact with the ships • Canadian and Irish boats carrying 27 activists, journalists and crew • Neither side expects violent confrontation.
Israeli navy boats were reportedly preparing to intercept a two-boat flotilla off the coast of Gaza at press time on Friday. The boats, which set out from Turkey on Wednesday, were said to be carrying medical supplies to Gaza.
Activists on board the ships tweeted on Friday morning that they were several dozen nautical miles from Gaza when they were contacted by the IDF.
The flotilla, comprised of a Canadian boat named Tahrir (Arabic for Liberation) and an Irish ship called Saoirse (Gaelic for Freedom), is the first of a number of small flotillas planning to attempt to breach the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza over the next few months, as part of an effort called "Freedom Waves to Gaza."
The ships' representatives managed to gain clearance for their journey by telling Turkish authorities they were setting sail for Rhodes before changing course for Gaza, according to Israeli reports.
Onboard the ships are 27 passengers from a number of different countries, including Americans, Canadians, Irish, Australians and Palestinians. According to the activists, their cargo is mostly medical supplies. The stated aim of the flotilla is to draw attention to what the organizers describe as Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza.
Israel, which maintains a maritime blockade around Gaza, has offered to unload any supplies carried by the flotilla at a separate port and then deliver them to Gaza via land crossings. Assuming that the ships, like others before it, will not accept the offer, Israel has deployed naval commando units to take control of the ships and redirect them to the Israeli port of Ashdod.
As of Friday morning, neither side was expecting a violent confrontation.
In May 2010, nine passengers onboard the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara were killed when Israeli commandos raided the ship, part of a six-boat flotilla, souring relations between the two former allies. In July 2011, the French boat Dignity was intercepted by the Israeli navy some 40 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza.
The U.S. government on Thursday called the latest flotilla attempt "dangerous," and warned its citizens not to take part. According to Reuters, U.S. officials, concerned by news reports that Turkish warships might accompany the boats to Gaza, were reassured by Turkish officials that this would not be the case.