Jerusalem – Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel without meeting resistance on Saturday, preventing it from breaking an Israeli maritime blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody.
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The military said its forces boarded the 1,200-ton Rachel Corrie cargo ship from the sea, not helicopters.
The takeover stood in marked contrast to a violent confrontation at sea earlier this week when Israeli commandos blocked a Turkish aid vessel trying to break the blockade. At the time, Israeli commandos rappelled from helicopters and a clash with passengers left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead.
Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich says Saturday’s takeover took only a few minutes and that the vessel was being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port.
The Irish ship — named for an American college student who was crushed to death by a bulldozer in 2003 while protesting Israeli house demolitions in Gaza — was carrying hundreds of tons of aid, including wheelchairs, medical supplies and cement.
The standoff has raised international pressure on Israel to lift the 3-year-old blockade that has plunged the territory’s 1.5 million residents deeper into poverty.
Activists on board the boat, including Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan, had said they wouldn’t resist if Israeli soldiers tried to take over their vessel.
This latest attempt to breach the blockade differs significantly from the flotilla the Israeli troops intercepted on Monday, killing eight Turks and a Turkish-American after being set upon by a group of activists.
Nearly 700 activists had joined that operation, most of them aboard the lead boat from Turkey that was the scene of the violence. That boat, the Mavi Marmara, was sponsored by an Islamic aid group from Turkey, the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief. Israel outlawed the group, known by its Turkish acronym IHH, in 2008 because of alleged ties to Hamas. The group is not on the U.S. State Department list of terror organizations, however.
By contrast, the Rachel Corrie was carrying just 11 passengers from Ireland and Malaysia, whose effort was mainly sponsored by the Free Gaza movement, a Cyprus-based group that has renounced violence. Nine crew were also on board.
Unbelievable how not a single word of this is being reported in the news since there’s no negative news about Israel involved this time…..
Thank God there were no injuries in this operation.
Boruch hashem. The soldier is wearing a kippah, its shabbos who said he could be micholel shabbos like that?
these israelis are just hurting inoccent activists and ppl who are suffering in the gaza reffuge camps. they have a siege on ppl who do not deserve it and they continue to kill innocent men and children as seen on the mavi marma.
Go Isreal go !
Ilove this killing people in afganistan is not a problem, whatever america barack. Husien obama decides to do is ok, even without defending them self, but if israels is defending them self from chamas teror thas a problem, well listen up prime minister just paray and belive in hashem and be strong keep up with the great work yoir doin, of course with hashems help and everything will. Be just fine!
i am sorry for writing comment #4 . it was a joke and i was bored. pls forgive my insensitivities.
Reply #3: The answer is obvious as the others have stated correctly that one is allowed to do whatever is neccessary in the army on Shabbos to protect other Jews. However, my question is why did #3 not know this obvious answer and not ask his question in a more humble way without first assuming that this soldoier was violating Shabbos? This shows our yeshiva system has failed us not to know such a simple answer and to ask the question in this way without condemning a Jew in this way. We need to improve our Yeshiva education and teach real Torah and Torah values in our schools.
Reply #13 This is not something to joke about. If you are bored open up a mussar safer but don’t write such things even as a joke. Again this shows how are yeshiva system has failed us if someone can think of writing such things as a joke. There are real people sufferring in israel and some of the soldiers on the ship were badly hurt and you write such things as a joke. Think before you make such jokes. You owe those soldiers an apology.
Did anyone notice the gorgeous deep blue color of the sea…? Contrast with the oil-sullied waters in the US of A… Hashem, Your wonders and Your messages do not escape us!
Why is it written 9 political activists? They were TERRORISTS!!!
Arrest the “activists”!!!!