http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-blockade-activists-hamas.html 2016-10-06 03:20:40 Israel Halts Yacht Trying to Break Its Blockade of Gaza The all-female crew of the Zaytouna-Oliva had hoped to reach the Palestinian enclave, but knew ahead of time the mission’s chances of success were slim. === JERUSALEM — Their chances of reaching the shores of Naval officers boarded the yacht, the Zaytouna-Oliva, at dusk on Wednesday in international waters, after it had spent eight days at sea. It was searched and redirected toward the southern Israeli port of Ashdod. No violence was reported on either side, though the In a statement, the Israeli military said that “the visit and search of the vessel was uneventful.” A military official added that female military personnel were involved in the operation. Once a common occurrence, international protest flotillas to Gaza became rare after The Israeli commandos killed nine activists after being met with violent resistance. A 10th activist later died of his wounds. It was six years later before The Zaytouna-Oliva left Barcelona and had made several stops before embarking on its final leg, from Italy, on Sept. 27. Among those on board: Ms. Maguire was among a group of 30 women, which included the feminist leader Gloria Steinem, who last year Early on Wednesday, the mission’s website The participants had known the prospects of reaching Gaza were slim, but that the real point of the all-female mission was to draw international attention to the Palestinian enclave. Before the Israeli takeover, Wendy Goldsmith, a Canadian member on board, Dozens of Palestinians, mostly women, had gathered at Gaza’s small harbor on Wednesday in hopes of welcoming the foreign seafarers. Some said they were bored at home, with no electricity most hours of the day. Others said religious leaders in their mosques had asked them to come. One of the women, Isra Alareer, 34, followed updates on her phone, and said that the mission gave her hope that Gaza was not forgotten. The day was punctuated by the boom of Israeli airstrikes against militant sites in Gaza. The strikes were retaliation for a rocket fired earlier from Gaza that had slammed into a residential street in the Israeli border town of Sderot, causing damage and panic but no injuries. One woman, who identified herself as Um Bilal Zakaria, said she had come to the coast with her six children to escape the airstrikes near her home, thinking that the port would be safer. She said she had not heard about the flotilla.