31 May 2010
At least 14 activists were killed and up to 60 injured by live fire from the Israeli navy as they staged a pre-dawn raid on the Mavi Marmara today. The Turkish passenger ship, was carrying around 600 civilians when it was attacked in international waters 75 miles off the coast of Gaza.
A flotilla statement released at 2300 Cyprus time announced this communication from the navy: “you will be boarded by highly trained, very efficient and very silent commandos. So be prepared for them”. Shortly after soldiers boarded the Marmara, which was leading the convoy, from air and sea. Videos taken from the ship show soldiers firing almost immediately after, firing which was sustained even after white flags had been raised and a death toll of at least ten had been established.
Avital Leibovich, a spokeswoman for the Israeli military, claimed “demonstrators onboard attacked the IDF Naval personnel with live fire” in a pre-prepared ‘lynch’ attack. Later officials statements maintained that the activists were the aggressors, although conceding no weaponry beyond “clubs” had been discovered. The army reported two commandos sustaining ‘moderate’ injuries. Greta Berlin of Free Gaza had earlier anounced all ships had been subject to thorough security checks in their countries of origin and could not carry weapons.
The Turkish foreign ministry denounced the “unacceptable” attack, claiming “Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behaviour". The Israeli embassy in Istanbul has been subject to angry protests and attention will now turn to the international response to unprecedented loss of civilian life, with activists calling for condemnation, criminal trials and severance of diplomatic ties with Israel.
The UN released a statement “condemning” the violence while EU spokesmen called for a “full enquiry”. PM Netanyahu is due to visit Washington this week, a trip now thrown into doubt. Representatives of the PM’s office expressed “regret at all the fatalities”.
The flotilla has now been led to Ashdod port near Tel Aviv, with passengers reporting further threats of violence from the navy. One reported “phone calls from Israeli thugs telling us we should drown or can we swim”. The identities of those killed and injured are still largely unknown, but Sheikh Raed Salah, founder of the Islamic Movement in Israel, is thought to be seriously injured.
President Mahmoud Abbas has declared a three day mourning period for the dead.
Follow updates from the flotilla here http://witnessgaza.com/
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