A Libyan-backed ship carrying humanitarian goods for Gaza appeared Wednesday to be taking a turn toward Egypt, a move that could avert a showdown between Israeli forces and activists aboard the vessel.

The ship said it is heading toward the Egyptian port of al Arish, Israeli officials familiar with the situation said Wednesday. The location is close to Gaza.

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hossam Zaki, says the ship is having engine trouble but said it has not officially requested permission to dock.

"We haven't received an official request yet but if we do, we will grant permission," Zaki said.

The Israeli information Wedneday matches what an Israeli official with knowledge of the communications between the Israeli military and the vessel said on Tuesday: The ship's captain had agreed to change course and go to Egypt.

However, Yusuf Sawani, the executive director of the Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation, which sent the ship, said Tuesday the vessel would continue to its destination.

Sawani said the aid ship is surrounded by at least eight Israeli navy vessels and has been ordered to either turn back or sail to al Arish. According to Sawani, the ship is moving slowly, but should reach shore Wednesday afternoon.

"We started sailing toward Gaza and Gaza is our target and we hope that every party concerned will come to their senses and realize that this is a humanitarian, peaceful mission," Sawani said Tuesday. "This is not a propaganda stunt."

The aid ship was launched by the Gadhafi Foundation, a charity headed by the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. It set sail from Greece on Saturday carrying 2,000 tons of aid. This is the latest Gaza-bound aid ship attempting to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

Israel says it must inspect all goods that enter Gaza so that weapons do not get into the hands of militants. Gaza is run by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement which has said it is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

Israel came under fierce international criticism for killing nine people in the course of boarding a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship in May. Israel said the activists on that ship attacked its troops when they boarded the boat.

The Israeli military had said its navy earlier was making "preparations to stop" the latest ship from delivering aid directly to Gaza.

"IDF is monitoring the situation and intend to stop the boat if it insists to go into the Gaza strip," the IDF said. "We see this as a provocation."

The Gadhafi Foundation refers to the ship as the Hope, although it appears to be registered as the MV Amalthea. It is Moldovan-flagged and run by ACA Shipping, based in Greece.

According to the Israeli military, 164 truck loads of goods went into Gaza Tuesday, saying it was more aid than the Libyan ship has on it.

The Israeli assault on the Turkish ship reverberated internationally and shined light on the Gaza blockade.

Israel has resisted demands for an international inquiry into the incident, but an Israeli military investigation was conducted into the boarding of the Mavi Marmara and it criticized some aspects of the operation.

The operation prepared only one course of action and had no backup plan, military commanders were not presented with options other than boarding the ship, and different branches of military intelligence did not coordinate well enough, the report found.

But the report said the commando team that boarded the ship operated properly, with bravery and professionalism, and that the use of live fire was justified.