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Gaza aid flotilla stopped by IDF, 10-16 dead reported


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Apparently, the aid flotilla assembled in Turkey and led by a Turkish passanger ship was stopped by a raid of Sayeret 13 and Israeli navy. In fight following boarding of the Turkish ship, 10-16 dead are reported after Israeli troops were attacked with (reportedly) knives and blunt weapons.

What sayeth our Israeli members? Guess main part of the aid onboard were nitrate fertilizers?

Article in next post.

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http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-at-least-10-activists-killed-as-israel-navy-opens-fire-on-gaza-aid-flotilla-1.293089

 

  • Published 00:18 31.05.10
  • Latest update 00:18 31.05.10

Report: At least 10 activists killed as Israel Navy opens fire on Gaza aid flotilla

 

Over 60 pro-Palestinian campaigners wounded after aid convoy sailing for Gaza Strip ignored Israel's order to turn back, Turkish news reports. IDF confirms two commandos also wounded.

By Anshel Pfeffer, Avi Issacharoff, The Associated Press and Reuters Tags: Gaza aid Freedom flotilla Israel Navy troops opened fire on pro-Palestinian activists aboard a six-ship aid flotilla sailing for the Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 and wounding several others after the convoy ignored orders to turn back, Turkey's NTV reported early Monday.

 

NTV said between 10 and 15 people were killed, with over 60 wounded, after Israel Defense Forces vessels encountered the flotilla in international waters.

 

Activists aboard an aid convoy bound for Gaza, May 30, 2010

 

Photo by: Reuters The IDF also confirmed that two navy commandos had been wounded in fight, which apparently broke out after activists tried to sieze their weapons.

 

According to the army, commandos who stormed the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, the largest vessel in the convoy, encountered violent resistance from activists armed with sticks and knives.

 

 

 

Activists attacked a commando with iron bars as he descended onto the ship from a helicopter, was attacked by the activists with metal rods, the army. The IDF said its rules of engagement allowed troops to open fire in what it called a "life-threatening situation".

 

Elite troops from Shayetet 13, a naval commando unit, boarded the protest boats at around 4:00 A.M.

 

 

 

Earlier Monday, Al Jazeera reported that the Gaza aid flotilla had changed course to avoid a confrontation with Israeli warships.

 

The Israeli naval vessels reportedly made contact earlier with the six-ship flotilla, which is carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza.

 

The Israeli navy was operating under the assumption that the activists manning the boats would not heed their calls to turn around, and Israeli troops were prepared to board the ships and steer them away from the Gaza shores and toward the Israeli port city of Ashdod.

 

Huwaida Arraf, one of the flotilla organizers, said the six-ship flotilla began the journey from international waters off the coast of Cyprus Sunday afternoon after two days of delays. According to organizers, the flotilla was expected to reach Gaza, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) away, on Monday afternoon, and two more ships would follow in a second wave.

 

The flotilla was fully prepared for the different scenarios that might arise, and organizers were hopeful that Israeli authorities would do what's right and not stop the convoy, one of the organizers said.

 

"We fully intend to go to Gaza regardless of any intimidation or threats of violence against us," Arraf said. "They are going to have to forcefully stop us."

 

After nightfall, three Israeli navy missile boats left their base in Haifa, steaming out to sea to confront the activists' ships.

 

Two hours later, Israel Radio broadcast a recording of one of the missile boats warning the flotilla not to approach Gaza.

 

"If you ignore this order and enter the blockaded area, the Israeli navy will be forced to take all the necessary measures in order to enforce this blockade," the radio message continued.

 

The flotilla, which includes three cargo ships and three passenger ships, is trying to draw attention to Israel's three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. The boats are carrying items that Israel bars from reaching Gaza, like cement and other building materials.

 

The activists said they also were carrying hundreds of electric-powered wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and water purifiers.

 

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that after a security check, permitted humanitarian aid confiscated from the boats will be transferred to Gaza through authorized channels. However, Israel would not transfer items it has banned from Gaza under its blockade rules. Palmor said that for example, cement would be allowed only if it is tied to a specific project.

 

This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza movement has tried to ship in humanitarian aid to Gaza since August 2008.

 

Israel has let ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since a three-week military offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers in January 2009. The flotilla bound for Gaza is the largest to date.

 

Some 700 pro-Palestinian activists are on the boats, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and an elderly Holocaust survivor.

 

The mission has experienced repeated delays, both due to mechanical problems and a decision by Cyprus to bar any boat from sailing from its shore to Gaza. The ban forced a group of European lawmakers to depart from the breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern part of the island late Saturday.

 

Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on Gaza after Hamas militants violently seized control of the seaside territory in June 2007.

 

Israel says the measures are needed to prevent Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets at Israel, from building up its arsenal. But United Nations officials and international aid groups say the blockade has been counterproductive, failing to weaken the Islamic militant group while devastating the local economy.

 

Israel rejects claims of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying it allows more than enough food and medicine into the territory. The Israelis also point to the bustling smuggling industry along Gaza's southern border with Egypt, which has managed to bring consumer goods, gasoline and livestock into the seaside strip.

 

Israel has condemned the flotilla as a provocation and vowed to block it from reaching Gaza.

 

Israeli military officials said they hoped to resolve the situation peacefully but are prepared for all scenarios. Naval commandos have been training for days in anticipation of the standoff. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under official guidelines, said the forces would likely take over the boats under the cover of darkness.

 

Palmor said foreigners on the ships would be sent back to their countries. Activists who did not willingly agree to be deported would be detained. A special detention facility has been set up in Ashdod.

 

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Current reports are that soldiers boarding the larger ship were attacked with knifes and blunt weapons and a soldier's weapon was taken from him and used against the boarding soldiers.

That led to the boarding force to open fire.

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this is a major PR bugger up - there will be a feeding frenzy in Turkey

 

film fottage of IDF being attacjked would be good also finding contraband on board might help

I stress might

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One of the stories on Haaretz says they were attacked with fire, presumably molotov cocktails.

 

"The military said in a statement: "Navy fighters took control of six ships that tried to violate the naval blockade (of the Gaza Strip) ... During the takeover, the soldiers encountered serious physical violence by the protesters, who attacked them with live fire."

 

 

Sounds like the "activists" got a dose of reality.

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One of the stories on Haaretz says they were attacked with fire, presumably molotov cocktails.

 

"The military said in a statement: "Navy fighters took control of six ships that tried to violate the naval blockade (of the Gaza Strip) ... During the takeover, the soldiers encountered serious physical violence by the protesters, who attacked them with live fire."

 

 

Sounds like the "activists" got a dose of reality.

I assume the meaning was "live fire" - meaning rounds fired at the soldiers. According to the press release pistols were found on board the ship.

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it will be a major uphill battle persuading the Turkish people that this was warranted - regardless of the reality

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it will be a major uphill battle persuading the Turkish people that this was warranted - regardless of the reality

So, what does Turkey gain now? They were behind the entire deal, the leadership is in league with Hamas.

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So... Apparently not only sticks and knives, but also handguns.

Seems the definition of "peaceful unarmed activists" is a bit stretching last years, right?

The handguns may have been taken from the soldiers.

The boarding force may have had paintball rifles and had to use handguns for self defense, 2 handguns were wrestled from the soldiers and turned against them.

There are videos from the raid showing soldiers being hit with sticks and stabbed.

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They figured 700 people would deter the IDF, likley within those 700 were people prepared to fight regardless of the outcome. Embarassing Israel was the key to this operation and deepen the rift between turkey and Israel. They were succesful. The organizers and many of the people believed they were trying to do good, but were used as pawns. So they died for concrete?

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The Israeli raid failed. You have to figure they did not want to kill anyone, and since ten or so people did, the raid failed. They wanted to end this quietly, but they botched the job. Frankly from the Israelis you expect better.

 

I do not say this as some sort of political statement, I am simply commenting on the job at hand. They screwed it up.

 

==eta==

The Israeli ambassador to Turkey has been booted out. The Security Council will meet in two hours. The Israeli PM has cancelled his visit to the White House.

Edited by Paul in Qatar
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There isnt enough known yet to jump to any assumptions. We dont know

A How far out in international waters this was.

 

Doesn't matter, they had a stated intent to violate the blockade. OR would it have been better for them to just torpedo the ships?

 

B What weapons if any were on the ships. Ive seen no other accounts as yet molotov coctails were used. They may have been, but that not be confirmed by anyone else yet.

 

Stabbing, taking firearms, beating with bars/sticks, is pretty much asking to be shot by someone with a firearm.

 

C Who was using the weapons.

 

Accounts are that it was as they fast roped onto the ship.

 

D Who fired first.

 

I can't believe that the IDF did NOT have cameras rolling.

 

E Were there any terrorists and were the ships carrying substantial ammounts of weaponry to Hamas. Im assuming the Turks checked before the ships left?

 

The israelis still have a power to check.

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Doesn't matter, they had a stated intent to violate the blockade. OR would it have been better for them to just torpedo the ships?

 

 

You are right, it doesn`t matter. In international waters states can only board ships flying their own flag. They can also board ships from countries they are at war with, but I don`t think the israelis are at war with Turkey :-)

Edited by Skorzeny
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Turkey has had its sights in changing its relationship with Israel to worse since the Islamist PM Erdogan took power. He is slowly changing Turkey from the secular Ataturk model that looks towards Europe to one that is more Islamist and looks towards the Middle East. He is using his powers to slowly change the judiciary and military.

 

This flotilla was not about breaking the blockade or delivering supplies. It was to bring an Israeli reaction that would lead to a worldwide outcry. They wanted to outcomes: 1)For the Israelis to look incapable of stopping them and showing their success of coming into Gaza or 2) To bring a bloody confrontation and make Israel look bad.

 

For a peace ship they seemed to be well-armed with knifes, batons, etc... What to they expect soldiers to allow themselves to be lynched and not shoot back? The first group that went in had paint-ball guns in order to avoid using lethal-power. That did not work.

 

The fact that 6 Israeli soldiers were wounded including 2 in serious conditions shows that these were not merely "make-love-not-war" peacenik types.

 

My personal opinion: I regret the loss of life but they had it coming.

Edited by Rod
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Interesting that France condemned the "disproportionate use of force". If I recall correctly French agents bombed a Greenpeace ship docked in New Zealand which led to the death of a Greenpeace activist.

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Obviously someone there went looking for trouble. If I'd be on a passenger ship and boarded by 'pirates' in possesion of air and sea power I'd surrender pretty fast. I wouldn't be surproised if several of those peaceful activists are are members of the peaceful liberal army, or something along the lines.

 

But Iwould be surprised if any contrabande (sp?) would be found. this would seriously degrade the PR stunt while it wouldn't deliver anything which couldn't be transported through the tunnels. Much better to transport real humanitarian help. Sure, it might have been brought into the gaza strip by official means, like an inspection by israely troops beforehand, but, hey, don't irritate with such small details, eh?

 

Greetings

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You are right, it doesn`t matter. In international waters states can only board ships flying their own flag. They can also board ships from countries they are at war with, but I don`t think the israelis are at war with Turkey :-)

 

Like the pirate ships everyone's been boarding? Or the Argentine ships that were stopped from heading towards the Falklands? Or the ships that many nations stop and inspect for various reasons?

 

Perhaps you think, with Hamas doing everything it can to attack Israel that they are NOT at war. OR might as well be at war? The exclusion zone is declared and known. There's no surprise. Ships headed to Gaza to deliver supplies MUST stop and be inspected. There's been too many incidents of ships bringing ordnance into Gaza for anyone to think otherwise.

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Like the pirate ships everyone's been boarding? Or the Argentine ships that were stopped from heading towards the Falklands? Or the ships that many nations stop and inspect for various reasons?

 

Perhaps you think, with Hamas doing everything it can to attack Israel that they are NOT at war. OR might as well be at war? The exclusion zone is declared and known. There's no surprise. Ships headed to Gaza to deliver supplies MUST stop and be inspected. There's been too many incidents of ships bringing ordnance into Gaza for anyone to think otherwise.

 

Argentine was at war with GB, for pirates I think you need probable cause.

 

As for these ships, they where under Turkish flags, so it doesnt matter if Israel is at war with Hamas. You cannot enforce an exclusion zone farther out than the territorial waters. You can disagree, but they broke the law and is now facing the shitstorm.

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Like the pirate ships everyone's been boarding? Or the Argentine ships that were stopped from heading towards the Falklands? Or the ships that many nations stop and inspect for various reasons?

 

Perhaps you think, with Hamas doing everything it can to attack Israel that they are NOT at war. OR might as well be at war? The exclusion zone is declared and known. There's no surprise. Ships headed to Gaza to deliver supplies MUST stop and be inspected. There's been too many incidents of ships bringing ordnance into Gaza for anyone to think otherwise.

 

All public ships are allowed to board and inspect any vessel that lacks national identity, or which is engaged in piracy or illegal broadcasting or the slave trade. Ships on the high seas are not subject to inspection by navies and need not submit to it. Even the US Coast Guard does not board drug runners until that Counsel of the nation of registry gives permission.

 

The Israeli action was illegal and an assault on the Turkish state.

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Here's

.

 

Peaceful my left foot. Any of you guys want to consider me peaceful while me and 20 other people beat the snot out of you with a pole and bars and what not? :glare:

 

 

I guess this is the typical measure of peace. Hamas, Hez'bala, et al can bombard Israel for months and it's "peace". But, lift a finger to defend themselves and Israel has broken the "peace". What is this? Newspeak or something?

Edited by rmgill
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All public ships are allowed to board and inspect any vessel that lacks national identity, or which is engaged in piracy or illegal broadcasting or the slave trade. Ships on the high seas are not subject to inspection by navies and need not submit to it. Even the US Coast Guard does not board drug runners until that Counsel of the nation of registry gives permission.

 

The Israeli action was illegal and an assault on the Turkish state.

What about the US qurantine of Cuba during the missile crisis? Israel is in a de-facto state of war with Hamas, and has the rights to blockade it's ports.

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