Israeli soldiers board Gaza-bound ‘Rachel Corrie’ without incident
June 5th, 2010 - 5:38 pm ICT by BNO NewsJERUSALEM (BNO NEWS) — Israeli soldiers boarded the Gaza-bound ‘Rachel Corrie’ on Saturday after it ignored numerous invitations to dock at Ashdod port, where its cargo would be inspected and then transfered to the Gaza Strip.
“This is the Israeli Navy. You are approaching an area of hostilities which is under a naval blockade,” the military said in a radio transmission to the vessel, according to the military. “The Gaza area, coastal region and Gaza Harbor are closed to all maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and invites you to enter the Ashdod port.”
The vessel was about 30 miles (48 kilometers) to 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Gaza shore when the first warnings were made.
Around 12.30 p.m. local time (5.30 a.m. EDT / 9.30 a.m. GMT), the ‘Rachel Corrie’ gave the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) permission to board the vessel. “IDF naval commandos boarded the ship attempting to break the maritime closure of the Gaza Strip a short while ago with the full compliance of the ship’s crew members,” an IDF spokesperson said. “According to initial reports, 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 boat and its crew are being led to the Ashdod port and will be transferred to the custody of the appropriate authorities, the IDF added.
In the earlier Navy radio transmissions to the ‘Rachel Corrie’ it already offered to deliver supplies in accordance with regulations via the formal land crossings. It said the supplies would be delivered under observation of the ‘Rachel Corrie.’ “After which you can return to your home ports aboard the vessels on which you arrived,” the Navy said in the radio transmission.
Israel had repeatedly said it would not allow the 1,200-ton ‘Rachel Corrie’ to reach Gaza despite international condemnation over its deadly takeover of another aid ship earlier this week. Activists on the Rachel Corrie had said from the start that they would surrender peacefully if Israeli forces boarded the boat.
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Tags: accordance with regulations, bno, civilian population, coastal region, gaza strip, home ports, humanitarian supplies, initial reports, international condemnation, israel defense forces, israeli government, israeli navy, israeli soldiers, maritime traffic, naval blockade, naval commandos, rachel corrie, radio transmission, radio transmissions, takeo