The al-Jazeera journalist travelling aboard the Freedom Flotilla reported that an Israeli patrol boat approached his ship and demanded to see its captain. Human rights activists aboard the Flotilla say they are still determined to reach Gaza to humanitarian supplies. The reporter said that Israel threatened to intercept the ship before it reaches the Gaza coast and to arrest everyone onboard. The Navy approached the Turkish ship since it was the first to approach the coast.
The ships are expected to reach the Gaza shore on Monday approximately at 10 A.M, unless intercepted and attacked by Israel.
The ships carry some 650 peace activists from several countries in addition to 10.000 tons of humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza.
Abbas Nasser of al-Jazeera said that the organizers of the Freedom Flotilla held a meeting and agreed to stop at a certain point before reaching the Palestinian territorial waters in order to decide on their next step.
Nasser added that the activists expect all scenarios, and agreed not to sign any document should Israel decide to arrest them.
They agreed that should they get kidnapped by the Israeli Navy, they will only indentify themselves and their nationalities. They also agreed that they would wait to be contacted by their embassies or by human rights groups.
Speaking from the Ashdod Port, al-Jazeera reporter, Walid al-Omary, said that Israel insists on intercepting the ships and arresting all activists who refuse to head back.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, said that they appointed a special navy unit to be in charge of the operation, and deployed Navy boats and helicopters along the Gaza coast and the coast in Ashdod.
In a direct violation of international law, Israel declared Gaza as a closed military zone and intends to arrest the activists and place them in a make-shift prison in Ashdod before deporting them to their countries after forcing them to sign documents stating that they will not return to the region.
A senior Navy official stated that the Israeli Navy have a mission to implement, and that this mission is to prevent the ships from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Independent Palestinian Legislator, head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza, Jamal el-Khodary, stated that the ships are expected to gather 30 nautical miles in territorial waters near the Gaza Strip on Monday at dawn before sailing together towards Gaza.
El-Khodary added that more ships will be sailing to Gaza even if Israel manages to stop the current flotilla.
He said that efforts are being conducted to send more ships to Gaza even if Israel manages to stop the Freedom Flotilla.
Turkish Prime Minister, Receb Tayyip Erdogan, demanded Israel not to intercept the Flotillas and to allow the ships to reach Gaza.
