They waited until sundown. But not until Shabbat was over.
Just before 6:00 p.m., the MV Rachel Corrie finally was brought to Ashdod, after a full day of action and suspense.
Continue reading Saturday evening: MV Rachel Corrie docks in Ashdod
Cypriot authorities have barred one boat from leaving its port today — it was the Spirit, the Free Gaza boat that was seized and boarded by Israel’s Navy late last June while attempting to reach Gaza. Those on board were detained — some for up to ten days — and deported.
Once the Spirit was released, it made its way back to Cyprus, and has been docked there since then. “Today they tried to take it and leave, and we didn’t allow them”, a Cypriot official said.
Cypriot authorities say they barred the Spirit from leaving because it was attempting to travel to an area where there is an existing naval blockade (that is, the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza’s maritime space, as defined by a map attached to the Oslo Accords; this naval blockade went into effect on 3-4 January 2009, and has still not been lifted, despite the separate but simultaneous cease-fires declared by Israel and Hamas on 18 January 2009).