Rachel Corrie Aid Ship Attacked by Israeli Occupation Forces, Hijacked to Isdood Instead of Gaza

Israeli occupation forces intercept Gaza aid vessel, Rachel Corrie

Published today (updated) 05/06/2010 12:49 Bethlehem - Ma'an -

Israeli occupation forces attacked, controlled, and hijacked the international aid ship, Rachel Corrie, bound for the Gaza Strip, activists said and the army confirmed.

(Aljazeera tv reported that the ship was hijacked to the Palestinian port of Isdood, which the Israelis annexed in 1948 though it is part of the Arab state of Palestine, according to the 1947 UN Partition Resolution).

There were no immediate reports of injury.

The MV Rachel Corrie was carrying over 1,000 tons of medical and construction supplies to the besieged coastal enclave.

Free Gaza spokeswoman Mary Hughes told Ma'an the ship was intercepted "to the best of our knowledge" despite the army's initial denials.

Later, the Israeli occupation army confirmed that its forces boarded the ship with the permission of its crew.

None of the crew members could be immediately reached to confirm the military's claims.

Abu Zuhri: Intercepting "Rachel Corrie" targets the solidarity movement

[ 05/06/2010 - 10:44 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces' interception of the Irish aid vessel "Rachel Corrie" is in line with its "barbaric piracy" and "international terrorism" in international waters, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said on Saturday.

He told the PIC that such practices were challenging and provoking human feelings, charging that Israel was targeting the international peace and solidarity movements.

The spokesman opined, however, that the crime, similar to the one before it, would not deter the international solidarity movements from sending other ships to Gaza.

He stressed that the only way to stop this flow of vessels was lifting the siege on Gaza, or else fleets and ships would continue their bids to break the siege.

Abu Zuhri accused the American administration with "legitimizing" the "Zionist piracy" by its backing to Israel in its crime and by pressuring Ireland and the ship's crew to prevent their sail to Gaza.

"This inhuman position affirms the American administration's involvement in the crime siege on Gaza," he concluded.

Israeli navy vessels took control of Rachel Corrie, which is carrying a humanitarian aid shipment, and forced it to head to Ashdod port instead of Gaza.

Nassrullah: Israel exposed before the world

[ 05/06/2010 - 10:13 AM ]

BEIRUT, (PIC)--

Hassan Nassrullah, the secretary general of the Lebanese Hizbullah party, said that Israel's brutal attack on the unarmed Freedom Flotilla in international waters had exposed it before the world.

Addressing a rally in Beirut on Friday in support of the besieged Palestinian people and in honor of the martyrs and strugglers who were on board the Freedom Flotilla, he said that the Israeli attack was embarrassing the so-called Arab moderates and those calling for normalizing relations with Israel.

Nassrullah said that the Israeli attack on civilians reflects its aggressive nature and disrespect for the entire world.

He also lashed out at the American administration for calling the Israeli attack an act of self defense, adding that the world was before a golden opportunity to end the siege on Gaza.

Israeli navy intercepts Gaza-bound Rachel Corrie aid ship: report

JERUSALEM, June 5, 2010 (Xinhua) --

The Rachel Corrie international aid ship sailing to the Gaza Strip was intercepted early Saturday by Israeli occupation navy, the Free Gaza Movement said on its website.

The ship, named after a pro-Palestinian activist killed in Gaza in 2003, was followed by three Israeli war ships about 16 miles from the besieged Palestinian territory and the Israeli navy did not take any further actions, an activist onboard the ship told Al-Jazeera TV.

The ship's radar was jammed and their communication with Al-Jazeera was suspended later.

Earlier reports from the Free Gaza Movement said the aid vessel has been boarded and controlled by Israeli soldiers. But it is not confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson's office at this moment.

Onboard the ship are a group of Irish and Malaysian peace activists, including Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Corrigan-Maguire. It is loaded with construction materials, paper and other supplies.

Israel will not allow any ship to reach Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday at a cabinet meeting to discuss how to deal with the aid ship.

The 'Rachel Corrie' is on Her Way

Friday June 04, 2010 23:12 by Written by Free Gaza Team

[Cyprus, June 4, 2010] imemc

The Rachel Corrie is 150 miles away from Gaza in international waters and on her way. They will arrive on Saturday morning. The 1200 ton cargo ship is the last ship from the Freedom Flotilla and is loaded with construction materials, 20 tons of paper and many other supplies that Israel refuses to allow into the imprisoned people of Gaza.

Some of the High-Profile people on board:

Mairead Maguire from Belfast, Ireland, a Nobel Peace Laureate (l976) and Co-founder of Peace People, Northern Ireland.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for peace and a nonviolent solution to the Ethnic/political conflict in Northern Ireland. Mairead went on the maiden Voyage of Dignity in October 2008, the second successful voyage for the Free Gaza Movement.

She was also on Board `Spirit' when Israel hijacked the Boat in International Waters, taking all 2l humanitarian passengers to Israel, where they were arrested, detained for a week in an Israeli prison and then deported.

Denis Halliday, from Ireland, a UN Assistant Secretary-General from 1994-98.

Appointed by SG Boutros Ghali, he served as ASG UN Human Resources Management in New York and in mid 1997 to end 1998 as Head, Humanitarian Programme in Iraq to support the Iraqi people struggling under the genocidal impact of UN Sanctions.

Since resigning from the UN in 1998, Halliday has delivered numerous parliamentary briefings, provided extensive media inputs and has given public/university lectures on Iraq, human rights, and the UN, in particular its reform.

Matthias Chang Wen Chieh is a Malaysian of Chinese descent. He is a Barrister of 32 years standing and once served as the Political Secretary to the Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. He is the author of three bestsellers, "Future Fast Forward", "Brainwashed for War, Programmed to Kill", and "The Shadow Money-Lenders and the Global Financial Tsunami", published in the US and in Malaysia.

Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria,Perak, Malaysia, MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria is a Member of the Malaysian Parliament.

In addition, there is a three-member camera crew on board from Malaysia TV3 and journalis Shamsul Akmar bin Musa Kamal.

The passengers on board the ship have stated, "Communication is difficult and sometimes impossible and there are many rumors out there started by Israeli authorities, but there is no way we are going to Ashdod. We are, for sure, on our way to Gaza."

Rachel Corrie aid ship headed to Gaza for sure, say organizers

Published yesterday (updated) 05/06/2010 05:36

Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies -

The remaining aid ships, including the Challenger II and the MV Rachel Corrie have been reported to be lost at sea, bound for Gaza and set to return to their home ports by various news agencies around the globe.

A statement by Free Gaza organizers, however, quashed the speculation, saying "There are many rumors out there started by Israeli authorities, but there is no way we are going to Isdood (which the Israelis called Ashdod after annexing it in 1948 though it was part of the Arab state of Palestine, according to the 1947 UN Partition Resolution). We are, for sure, on our way to Gaza."

As the world outcry continues over the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla on Monday that resulted in the deaths of an unknown number of activists, with reports from one organizer that at least four were shot in the head, little appears certain over the plans of the remaining ships delayed from the initial flotilla.

The latest from the Free Gaza team says the the MV Rachel Corrie "is 150 miles away from Gaza in international waters and on her way," adding that the ship is expected to arrive on Saturday morning, with some 1,200 tons of cargo.

Singapore's Straits Times quoted Free Gaza organizer Audrey Bomse as saying "[t]the situation is we lost all contact with the boat. We assume this was sabotage by the Israelis," while Israeli media is reporting that the MV Corrie is heading back to Ireland, for reasons as diverse as instructions from organizers to agreements with Israel that the ship not continue toward Gaza.

According to the Free Gaza statement, however, the communications equipment on board is at times unreliable. Organizers quoted the crew as saying "Communication is difficult and sometimes impossible."

Al-Jazeera spoke with officials in Malaysia, who funded the Irish-flagged boat, where the nation's government reportedly urged Israel "not to take any action that could harm people aboard."

According to the Irish Examiner, officials in the country have appealed to the UN to ensure that the boat reaches Gaza shores safely, with calls coming directly from former UN assistant secretary general Denis Halliday, who is on board the ship.

Halliday reportedly sent in requests for a UN escort, while rumors continue to circle that Turkey may in fact volunteer naval craft to accompany the ships.

Head of the government of Ireland, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, was said by the Times to have warned the Israeli military of "the most serious consequences" if any of the five Irish citizens on board was injured.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.