Navy said to stop Gaza blockade-busting ship, tow it to Ashdod

29 July 2018, 2:05 pm

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The Israeli Navy has stopped a boat trying to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip and is bringing the vessel to the port in Ashdod, unconfirmed Palestinian reports say.

The Israel Defense Forces will not confirm the reports, which came shortly after the “Freedom Flotilla” group said the boat received a warning from the navy.

The “Awda,” or “Return” in Arabic, is part of a three-boat flotilla that set off from Sicily in a bid to thwart the naval blockade Israel maintains on the Palestinian enclave.

Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent weapons and other materials from reaching Gaza that could be used to attack Israel.