An Israeli military vessel confronted a Libyan aid ship Tuesday trying to breach Israel's three-year-old Gaza blockade and ordered it to divert to an Egyptian port, the Israeli military and organizers said. The Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation said the Moldovan-flagged Amalthea, which left Greece on Saturday carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, refused to alter its course for el-Arish in Egypt and insisted it will steam on for Gaza. The foundation also said in a statement posted on its website that the Israeli naval vessel is shadowing the Libyan-commissioned aid ship. The Israeli military confirmed that it has made contact with the Amalthea and said "the navy has begun preparing to stop the ship." It did not elaborate. The latest challenge to Israel's blockade on the seaside strip comes more than a month after Israeli naval commandos boarded a flotilla of Gaza-bound ships, killing eight Turks and a Turkish-American on one of the vessels. The raid focused international attention on the Israeli embargo on Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamist militant group Hamas, and forced Israel to ease the movement of goods through land crossings. However, Israel's naval blockade on the territory, meant to keep weapons from reaching Hamas militants, remains in place. Israeli's policy has been to offer aid ships sailing for Gaza the option of docking at an Israeli port, after which Israel would screen the goods aboard and transfer them into Gaza by land. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev reiterated that offer Tuesday, inviting the activists aboard the Amalthea to sail to the Israeli port of Ashdod and unload there. "We will guarantee delivery of all civilian cargo to the people of Gaza," Regev said. "There are no limitations whatsoever on food reaching the people of Gaza. The crossings are open."
