Resistance is strong ...The Rachel Corrie Defies Israeli Orders, Steams on toward Gaza

05/06/2010 The Irish Rachel Corrie ship carrying aid supplies to besieged Gaza is ignoring Israeli orders to put to port in the southern coastal city of Ashdod Saturday and steaming on towards Gaza in defiance of the warships which had intercepted it, the Israeli occupation military said.

"We indicated several times to the organizers aboard the ship that they should head to the port of Ashdod as there is a blockade in force on the Gaza Strip, but they ignored our appeals and are continuing to head towards Gaza," a military spokeswoman said.

Earlier on Saturday, a spokesman for the Gaza-based welcoming committee said the Israeli troops intercepted the vessel 35 miles off Gaza.
"Several Israeli boats surrounded them between 30 and 35 miles off Gaza and prevented them from reaching Gaza," Amjad al-Shawa said after speaking by telephone with passengers on the boat.

He said that communication with the vessel had since been "completely cut".
Also earlier, Israeli military completely denied the report, with a spokeswoman telling AFP: "No, it has not been intercepted."


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.

Also earlier, Israeli military completely denied the report, with a spokeswoman telling AFP: "No, it has not been intercepted."

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 on Monday massacre nine activists on board the flotilla in the international water, wounding around other 60 activists and detaining hundreds of them.