Israel boards Gaza-bound aid ships

Israeli navy personnel boarded the ships, now bound for Ashdod Jerusalem – Mohammed Habeeb The activists refused the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) officials requests to turn the vessels back, sail to Egypt or to Israel's shore. The ships have been taken to the Ashdod port, after which they will be transferred to the care of police and immigration forces.
An IDF spokesman said the operation was completed according to decisions made by chief politcians and a failure to deter the activists.
This occurred after the Israeli military's chief of staff ordered navy personnel to board the aid ships. Israeli radio said that navy personnel had contacted the activists on both ships, and warned them about coming to Gaza to break the siege.
The military earlier asserted that the activists on board the "Freedom Waves" mini-flotilla were refusing to cooperate. At the same time, the activists said the boats were "surrounded by Israeli warships."
According to the activist organisers, this mission is the eleventh attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza by sea. Five missions arrived safely in Gaza between August and December 2008, with the rest intercepted by Israel.
The activists issued a statement on Friday saying that "ground support crews lost contact with two ships, the Saoirse of Ireland and the Tahrir of Canada." The boats are carrying medical supplies and letters of support for Gaza residents.
The statement said the navy interrogated the Tahrir at around 7:30 a.m. when it was about 48 nautical miles from the Gaza coast. Thirteen minutes later, ground support crews lost contact with two ships.
Asked by the Israeli Navy for their destination, Canadian activist Ehab Lotayef replied, "The conscience of humanity," according to the activists' statement.
When they repeated the question, asking for final destination, Lotayef said, "The betterment of mankind."
Kit Kittredge, an American traveling with the Tahrir, said Israel made contact with the group and told them to change their radio channel. Kittredge said the group declined to do so.
Late Thursday, two Israeli navy ships shadowed the ships before pulling back, the group said.
The flotillas have sparked international controversy.
In 2010, an Israeli raid on one flotilla ship, the Mavi Marmara, resulted in nine Turkish activists being killed, a development that led to the deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey, once close allies. Israel was heavily condemned for the deaths.
A U.N. report in September criticised Israel's role in the incident but described the blockade -- which activists call illegal -- as a "legitimate security measure."
Israel says it is concerned about the smuggling of arms to Gaza militants intent on attacking the Jewish state. Gaza is controlled by the anti-Israel Hamas militant group, regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and Israel,
But activists say Israeli embargoes of goods into Gaza from land and sea are collective punishment of civilians in what is a tiny and densely populated strip of land along the Mediterranean coast.
Israel has said that any organisation or state that wants to give humanitarian aid to Gaza can do so in coordination with Israeli authorities via existing land crossings into the Palestinian territory.