Palestinians show their solidarity with a Gaza-bound flotilla of international activists that attempted to break the Israeli blockade of the coastal strip. (Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images)An Israeli naval ship, operated by female combat troops and cadets, intercepted a vessel carrying female activists bound for the Gaza Strip on Wednesday afternoon. The protest boat, which set sail from Barcelona last month with about a dozen international activists, was carrying no aid. After ordering the boat to change directions, Israeli forces boarded it in international waters and escorted it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. “We believe that the humanitarian message sent by women on the boat was delivered to Gaza residents whether the boat arrived or not,” said Adham Abu Selmiya, one of the organizers in Gaza.

Source: Washington Post October 05, 2016 18:12 UTC