Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid vessel swiftly and without meeting resistance today, preventing it from breaking a naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory days after a similar effort turned bloody.

PRO-PALESTINIAN activists sent another boat to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip yesterday and Egypt declared it was temporarily opening a crossing into the Palestinian territory after a raid on an aid flotilla that ended with Israeli soldiers killing nine activists.

Israeli commandos today stormed six ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid mission to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more.

Israeli gunships were standing by today to stop a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists from reaching the Gaza Strip, setting the stage for what could become a dramatic showdown on the high seas.