05/06/2010 Israeli occupation troops boarded on Saturday Rachel Corrie, the Irish vessel carrying on board aid supplies to the besieged Gaza, but according to a military spokeswoman, there "was no violent confrontation."
"Our forces boarded the boat and took control without meeting any resistance from the crew or the passengers. Everything took place without violence," the spokeswoman told AFP.
The move came after the Rachel Corrie ignored Israeli orders to put to port in the southern coastal city of Ashdod in defiance of the Israeli naval vessels which had been trailing the ship for several hours before storming it.
A military spokeswoman threatened the vessel saying that Israeli soldiers will board you if you refuse to change course... We are ready to use force to defend ourselves," Avital Leibowitz said it relayed a message warning Rachel Corrie.
Activists on board the ship had previously indicated they would not heed Israeli calls to change course, and would continue to head for their destination -- although they were prepared to let their cargo be inspected.
Earlier on Saturday, a spokesman for the Gaza-based welcoming committee said communication with the vessel had since been "completely cut".
In a last contact with one of the activists on board at around 5:38 am (0238 GMT), Israeli vessels were approaching the ship and those aboard feared all communications would be cut off.
"Jenny Graham, activist, reported that they had been followed by Israeli ships for about two hours, and that in the last few minutes two ships were approaching from the port side," the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign said.
Graham said that equipment on board "had been jammed by the Israeli navy, and that they expected their satellite phone to be jammed soon as well," the group said.
"The line was bad and we were unable to determine the exact location of the Rachel Corrie relative to their destination," the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign added.
On Tuesday, Israeli ministers had promised to blockade any other aid ship to Gaza.
"We will stop the ship, and also any other ship that will try to harm Israeli sovereignty. There is no chance the Rachel Corrie will reach the coast of Gaza," Avigdor Lieberman said.
"We will not let any ships reach Gaza and supply what has become a terrorist base threatening the heart of Israel," Israeli deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai told public radio.
The Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after an American woman crushed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip in 2003, set off on Monday from Malta. It is carrying 15 activists including a northern Irish Nobel Peace laureate.
The Rachel Corrie had been due to sail with the "Freedom" flotilla but had been delayed for technical reasons.
Israeli occupation troops massacre nine activists onboard the flotilla Monday in the international water, wounding around other 60 activists and detaining hundreds of them.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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