Israeli Navy takes control of aid vessel 'Rachel Corrie' off Gaza coast

Gaza, June 5 (ANI): Israeli Navy commandos took control of the MV Rachel Corrie, carrying activists attempting to break the Gaza blockade, on Saturday afternoon.

There were no reports of violence during the operation and it appeared to have gone by quietly. The boat was being sailed to Ashdod, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Prior to the takeover, three navy ships tailed the aid boat for several hours throughout the morning, a few dozen kilometers from the blockaded Strip.

The Israeli Army said it had contacted the boat five times before and urged its passengers to divert to Ashdod, but the activists had repeatedly refused.

The IDF had said that it would have no choice but to board the ship if it did not agree to go to Ashdod.

The ship was trying to breach the three-year-old blockade to deliver a load of aid to the coastal territory. (ANI)