Israeli navy tails Gaza-bound Libyan ship
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The Israeli navy is following a Libyan-commissioned aid ship carrying supplies for the Gaza Strip,the Israeli army said early Wednesday morning.
The ship was reportedly delayed in the sea due to technical problems, the army's spokesperson office told Xinhua, adding that the navy could not confirm this report so far.
While continuing tailing the ship, the army vowed to intercept the aid boat if it approaches the Palestinian enclave. The navy "has begun preparations to stop the Libyan ship attempting to enter Gaza," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on its website.
According to the organizers of the aid boat, the Israeli navy has intercepted the ship and ordered it to head to the Egyptian port of el-Arish.
"An Israeli gunboat is currently intercepting Al-Amal aid ship. The ship's captain was asked by the gunboat crew to go to (Egyptian port) el- Arish, stressing that the vessel will not be allowed to go into Gaza at all," a statement by Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation said.
However, the army said it just has initiated a process of identification and communication with the Libyan ship at sea, denying any ultimatum was issued to the crew of the boat.
Israeli military officials told local media that the captain of the Libyan ship said late Tuesday that the boat was expected to divert to the Egyptian port of El-Arish. However, the organizers said in their website that the ship is still sailing to Gaza.
The final destination of the aid ship, which carries some 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies and tries to challenge Israel's three-year blockade against Gaza, is still unclear early Wednesday morning.
Israeli naval special operations team intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla on May 31, ending with nine people killed and dozens of other including nine Israeli soldiers wounded.
The deadly raid has aroused international criticism, and an Israeli military probe concluded on Monday that errors were made in the "intelligence and the decision-making process" in the operation.
A senior military official said, however, that the army could not "guarantee" that no operations with similar results of the May 31 operation would happen in the future.
