Gaza journey of MV Rachel Corrie

31°25′N 33°59′E / 31.41°N 33.99°E / 31.41; 33.99

The MV Rachel Corrie
Blockade of the
Gaza Strip
Crossings
2004 - 2009
2010
2011 - present
Groups involved

The Cambodian-flagged Irish[1][2][3] MV Rachel Corrie was part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that sailed to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid in 2010. The ship was unable to join the other six ships in the flotilla because of mechanical problems that forced it to undergo repairs in Malta.[4] The other six ships were confronted by a raid on 31 May 2010 during which nine activists were killed by Israeli naval forces.

The aid-carrying vessel got under way on 31 May 2010, with its crew insisting that they would go to Gaza.[4] The governments of Israel and Ireland reached an agreement to unload the ship's cargo in the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod, but the group sponsoring the ship rejected the proposal.[5] Israeli commandos boarded the ship from speedboats at around noon on 5 June 2010, in international waters about 30 kilometers from Gaza. The Israeli commandos seized control, and the ship and its passengers were diverted towards Israel, away from its original course.[6][7] After an inspection, Israel delivered the entire cargo to Gaza, including cement, which is usually banned.[5]

  1. ^ "Another aid ship on way to Gaza – Middle East". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  2. ^ Hadjicostis, Menelaos; Rising, David (4 June 2010). "New aid ship heads to Gaza, Israel vows to stop it". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  3. ^ Webley, Kayla (4 June 2010). "Who Is Rachel Corrie?". Time. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Ship escapes Israeli raid after being delayed in Malta". The Times (Malta). 1 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b Bronner, Ethan (5 June 2010). "Israeli Military Boards Gaza-Bound Aid Ship". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  6. ^ Laub, Karin (5 June 2010). "Israel remains defiant, seizes Gaza-bound aid ship". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Boarding was invoked but never defined (see the help page).