Israeli forces have taken command of a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip and its crew of 12 heading to a port in Israel.
The British-flagged yacht Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver aid to Gaza and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there,this Monday
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas.
It will be recalled that Israel imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave after Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.