The Gaza-bound aid ship “Rachel Corrie” arrived Saturday at the Israeli port city of Ashdod after Israel Defense Forces soldiers boarded the ship peacefully and escorted it into Israeli territory. The move came after warnings that Israel would not allow the vessel to reach Gaza, which is under blockade by Israel, and several days after an Israel Navy takeover of another boat headed for the Hamas-ruled coastal strip ended in violent clashes and the deaths of nine passengers.
The Cambodian-flagged Rachel Corrie – named for an American college student who was crushed to death by an IDF bulldozer in 2003 while protesting Israeli house demolitions in Gaza – was carrying hundreds of tons of aid, including wheelchairs, medical supplies and cement.
An IDF spokesman said Saturday that Israeli special forces soldiers used boats to board the ship, and were not air-dropped as in the nighttime takeover of the Mavi Marmara on Monday.
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