Navy escorts vessel as it arrives at the Israeli port without incident; no soldiers or activists hurt.
A pro-Palestinian ship named 'Marianne' is escorted to Ashdod port in southern Israel after it was seized by the navy, June 29, 2015. . (photo credit:REUTERS)
The Swedish "flotilla" boat Marianne av Göteborg arrived to the port in Ashdod on Monday night after Israeli navy vessels intercepted the Gaza-bound trawler some 5 nautical miles off the enclave's coast.
The activists on-board the vessel attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza were set to be dealt with by relevant government bodies.
The navy-escorted boat docked without incident and no soldiers or activists were hurt. After disembarking, the passengers were expected to be questioned in Ashdod, and the foreigners were then due to be deported.
This “flotilla,” which managed to garner headlines in Israel over the last few days but was not a major story overseas, ended with a whimper as three other vessels that set sail from Crete to accompany the boat and document its journey turned back after the Marianne, with its 18 passengers, was stopped and boarded.
The IDF spokesperson issued a statement early Monday morning saying that upon receiving orders from the political echelon and after diplomatic efforts failed to get the ship to alter its course, naval commandos from the Shayetet 13 boarded it.
Among the “Marianna's” passengers were MK Basel Ghattas (Joint Arab List) and former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. Several of the remaining passengers were journalists, according to a list published by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group which organized the flotilla.
The group said Monday that around 2:00 a.m. the Marianne contacted them and said that three Israel Navy boats were surrounding them in international waters. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said they then lost contact with the vessel, and that the next word they received was three hours later when the IDF announced that the boat had been stopped.
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