Eleven ships were due to set sail this weekend, including nine from Greece, but two discovered damage to their propellers which activists blamed on Israeli sabotage.
Another ship was arrested on the high seas by the Greek coastguard for leaving port without permission, and the remainder were told they could not set sail.
Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, claimed credit for the delays to the flotilla. "I welcome all the efforts that have been made to stop the flotilla," he said in a radio interview. "The success of these efforts on the diplomatic side are the fruits of intensive contacts with states in the region and the international community."
Israel is keen to prevent a repeat of the violent outcome to a similar attempt to break the blockade of Gaza last year, when its navy stormed the lead ship, killing nine Turkish activists. » | Phoebe Greenwood in Tel Aviv and Richard Spencer | Sunday, July 03, 2011
