Israeli navy stops activists attempting to break Gaza blockade

Israeli forces intercepted a ship with pro-Palestinian activists attempting to break the Gaza blockade without using force and escorted it to an Israeli port early Monday morning, the army announced, reports the Patria News Agency.

- In accordance with international law, the Israeli navy repeatedly asked the ship to change course, the army statement said.

- After their refusal, the navy intercepted the ship in international waters to prevent it from breaking the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the text continues.

A military spokeswoman confirmed that it was the Swedish ship "Marianne av Goeteborg" belonging to "Freedom Flotilla III", a convoy of four ships carrying pro-Palestinian activists who want to break the blockade, such as Israeli Arab MP Bassel Ghattas and former Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki.

- This flotilla is nothing but a demonstration of hypocrisy and lies that only helps the Hamas organization and ignores all the horrors in our region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Monday.