Israeli navy did not board Rachel Corrie aid ship
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Israeli navy didn't board the Gaza-bound Rachel Corrie aid ship, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson's office told Xinhua on Saturday morning.
Israeli warships have made initial request for the aid vessel's identity, which is now some 50 km offshore of Gaza, and the ship was not boarded by Israeli forces, said an IDF spokeswoman.
The Israeli navy have begun telling the activists aboard to dock at southern Israel's Ashdod port.
The spokeswoman reiterated that the aid vessel will not be allowed to reach Gaza.
The Rachel Corrie ship, named after a pro-Palestinian activist killed in Gaza in 2003, is part of the "Freedom Flotilla," which was involved in a deadly clash with the Israeli navy. Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in the high sea showdown on Monday.
Earlier reports from the Free Gaza Movement said the ship was boarded and controlled by Israeli soldiers early Saturday morning. A human rights organization aimed at breaking the Gaze siege, the Free Gaza Movement is a major sponsor and media coordinator for the blockade-buster convoy.
The group said in its latest twitter message that it has lost contact with the aid ship for one and a half hour, possibly due to radio jamming.
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