Greek Commadoes Storm Gaza-Bound Relief Ship To Rescue Hostages
Greek commandos boarded a Gaza-bound aid ship — whose mission went awry and turned into a hostage situation after a dispute with the ship’s captain — in a harbor off the country’s coast Friday, an official with the activist organization sponsoring the vessel said.
The people on board, who had been described as hostages by the charity group that sponsored the voyage, were safe and uninjured, but still awaiting word from Greek authorities on their legal status, said Ellie Merton, a representative of the Road to Hope organization in London, England.
Greece’s merchant marine ministry said the ship, Strofades IV, had docked in the Greek port city of Pireaus.
Merton said the ship was taken over in Libya by its captain on Thursday after the ship captain “went nuts” and allegedly kidnapped the convoy members on board after an argument, according to the charity.