So much for rendering humanitarian aid to civilians: on Dec. 30, a boat carrying doctors and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip was rammed by Israeli Navy boats 90 miles off the coast of the Hamas-led Palestinian territory, which Israel attacked Dec. 28 to halt rocket fire from the area.
On board were 15 human rights observers organized by the Free Gaza Movement, including Cynthia McKinney, 2008 Green Party presidential candidate and former member of Congress. In a statement she released, McKinney says the Israelis' boats followed the vessel Dignity for 30 minutes and fired warning shots, but gave no warning before ramming it three times, forcing it to put into port at Tyre, Lebanon. No injuries were reported.