A boat that sailed from Cyprus on Sunday intent to challenge the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip was peacefully boarded by Israeli commandoes and at press time is being taken to the port at Ashdod. It had previously been warned it would not be permitted to reach its destination. The vessel, Irene, flies a British flag and is carrying ten Jewish left-wing activists, five of whom are Israeli citizens. The Israeli navy contends that in the case of Jewish activists, preventing them from reaching Gaza is out of concern for their safety as well as enforcement of the blockade. At Ashdod, its cargo will be off-loaded after which the ship will be sent back to its port of origin. As with past Gaza-bound vessels, Israeli authorities say they will transfer the cargo to Gaza via an overland route after ascertaining that no banned materials are included.
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