A lone French yacht carrying activists hoping to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza was on Thursday blocked in Crete by the Greek coast guard when it stopped to refuel, an organiser said.
"The Dignite/Al Karama was taken to Sitia in Crete by the Greek coast guard after being stopped in a nearby port while it was refuelling," Claude Leostic told AFP by telephone from Paris.
"The authorities are stopping the boat from setting sail for various administrative reasons," Leostic said.
The boat, which is carrying 12 pro-Palestinian activists, had sneaked out of a Greek port early on Tuesday in defiance of a ban on any ships setting sail from Greece in an attempt to run the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
All the other boats which had been expected to participate in a 10-vessel international aid flotilla to Gaza are currently being blocked from leaving ports in Greece.
The flotilla had been due to set sail last week but was hit by a wave of administrative obstacles. Officials in Athens say they imposed the ban for the "safety" of the activists on board in the wake of last year's bloody showdown when Israeli commandos raided a six-ship flotilla.
More than 300 activists from 22 countries had signed up to participate in this year's flotilla, among them dozens of middle-aged and elderly Americans and Europeans.
Meanwhile, Israeli security has distributed a blacklist among foreign airlines, featuring names of the 300 activists who will not be allowed on Israel-bound flights, the Israeli media reported.
The measure comes in preparation for the pro-Palestinian fly-in, which is scheduled to take place over the upcoming weekend. Dubbed the "Flightilla" or "Air Flotilla" in the Israeli press, the protest was meant to coincide with the arrival of the Gaza flotilla.
“What we are planning for the 8th of July could be the beginning of the marches to Palestine. We are fed up with words and we need to take action,” Lubna Masarawa, a Palestinian activist, said on YouTube.
The activists have said they plan to declare “Palestine” as theeir final destination upon arrival in Israel .
But Israeli officials offered stern warnings about any attempted breach of Israeli sovereignty.
"The same hooligans who tried to break the law and disrupt the peace will not be allowed into Israeland will return to their home countries," Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch declared.
Israel told the airlines that the blacklisted individuals, most of whom come from France, are unauthorized to enter the state. The air carriers, in turn, promised to prohibit these individuals from boarding flights.
According to organizers of the fly-in, at least eight activists wishing to board a Hungaria’s Malev Airlines flight from Paris to Budapest, and then Tel Aviv, were turned away.
France has warned its nationals against taking part in the fly-in.
"France is concerned about the risks that may occur at the airport in Tel Aviv on Friday, July 8, as part of the operation 'Welcome to Palestine,'" French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.
A somewhat heightened level of security was apparent at Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion international airport's on Thursday, as hundreds of police and border officials awaited the expected arrival of the activists starting late Thursday night.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We must act firmly against attempts to create provocative incidents, but we should also avoid undue friction."
Israeli Police commander Bentsi Sao said: "We are aware that the whole point of the protesters is to create a media buzz aimed at embarrassing the state of Israel."
The Israeli Tourism Ministry is also preparing to welcome thousans of tourists expected to arrive in the country this weekend for the summer holidays
The ministry said that its Ben Gurion Airport branch would be reinforced by additional employees who will welcome the tourists with flowers and explanatory pamphlets.