Gaza-bound ship escorted to Israeli port after takeover

ASHDOD (Israel): A Gaza-bound ship of activists and lawmakers which was boarded by Israeli troops, arrived at Ashdod port under naval escort, ending the latest bid to reach the blockaded Palestinian enclave.

More than 10 hours after Israeli naval commandos took control of it in international waters, the Finnish flagged Estelle docked at Ashdod harbour in southern Israel.

It was escorted there by two naval vessels, a correspondent said.

Saturday’s takeover ended the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists to breach Israel’s tight maritime embargo on Gaza which prohibits all naval traffic in and out of the coastal territory.

“There was no violence,” an Israeli military spokesman said.

Troops had taken control of the 53m vessel and were taking it back to Ashdod port in southern Israel, she added.

On board the ship were 17 passengers, including five parliamentarians from Europe and a Canadian former lawmaker, organisers said.

It was carrying a shipment of humanitarian aid and 30 doves, which the passengers had been intending to release on arrival in Gaza.

“We’ve heard nothing since they told us they had come under attack,” said Victoria Strand, a Stockholmbased spokesman for Ship to GazaSweden.

“We believe they have just passed into Israeli territorial waters.”

Earlier, Strand said that the vessel had been boarded after being approached by navy vessels some 38 nautical miles off the Gaza coast.

The military said the boarding was carried out only after “numerous calls to the passengers onboard” had gone unanswered.