Oakland, November 4 (RHC)-- Protesters in the U.S. state of California opposing Washington's military aid for Israel, which is waging a hugely deadly war against the Gaza Strip, have blocked the departure of a military supply ship slated to deliver weapons to the occupied territories.

The crowd of roughly 200 protesters turned up at the Port of Oakland (California) on Friday, blocking the vessel's departure for Washington, where they said it was to be loaded with weapons destined for Israel.  Several protesters climbed a ladder on the side of the vessel attached to a cargo hatch.

The protest was organized by the San Francisco-based Arab Resource Organizing Center.

"The community became aware that the ship was headed to Israel to carry military cargo to the apartheid state of Israel because of the courage of crewmembers who decided not to take this job," said Lara Kiswani, the group's executive director.

"I'm here at the Port of Oakland with a group that's protesting the departure of this ship that is planning to deliver weapons to Israel in support of the genocide of innocent people in Gaza," said another protest organizer, Becca Lewis.  "The goal is to get the ship workers to stand in solidarity with the movement of people who are concerned about the shipment of weapons," she said.

The United States, Israel's biggest and oldest ally, has provided the regime with thousands of arms consignments since October 7th, when Tel Aviv started the yet-ongoing war against Gaza.   Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Pentagon request for an additional 14 billion dollars in military aid to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.

On Friday, the 28th day of Israel’s barbaric attacks on the coastal territory, the death toll reached at least 9,227 people, including 3,826 children and more than 2,405 women. At least 23,516 people have been wounded.

Since the onset of the war of aggression, the U.S. has given aid and comfort to Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks on the Palestinian territory, calling it "self-defense."

Washington has also been casting its veto against the United Nations Security Council resolution that calls on the occupying regime to cease its aggression.