Despite prior declarations that it would attempt to prevent them from nearing the Gaza coast, Israel allowed two ships operated by international anarchists on Saturday. to land on the shores of Gaza. The anarchists, who set sail from Cyprus, took the trip with the declared intent of "breaking Israel's stranglehold on Gaza.”

Israeli officials said over the weekend that after consultations, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided not to halt the ships, as they had previously said they would, to “prevent the provocation” they were trying to incite. The official said that while Israel doubted that the anarchists' mission was “humanitarian,” as they claimed, the ships were not carrying any weapons, according to Cypriot naval authorities.

Among those on the ships were Lauren Booth, sister in law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Paul LaRudee, one of the heads of the infamous International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which has been involved in many of the riots at security fence building sites, where rock throwing rioters have injured IDF troops and Israeli police officials.