Gaza aid flotilla attacked by Israel - several humanitarian workers killed

Piracy on the highseas in International waters.

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on the Gaza strip.

Up to 16 people were killed and more than 30 people injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, the Israeli Army Radio said.

The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.

Footage from the flotilla's lead vessel, the Mavi Marmara, showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the ship and helicopters flying overhead.

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, on board the Mavi Marmara, said Israeli troops had used live ammunition during the operation.

The Israeli Army Radio said soldiers opened fire "after confronting those on board carrying sharp objects".

Free Gaza Movement, the organisers of the flotilla, however, said the troops opened fire as soon as they stormed the ships.

They also said the ships were now being towed to the Israeli town of Haifa, instead of Ashdod to avoid waiting journalists.

Earlier, the Israeli navy had contacted the captain of the Mavi Marmara, asking him to identify himself and say where the ship was headed.

Israeli intervention

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Shortly after, two Israeli naval vessels had flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance.

Organisers of the flotilla carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid then diverted their ships and slowed down to avoid a confrontation during the night.

They also issued all passengers life jackets and asked them to remain below deck.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Jerusalem, said the Israeli action was surprising.

"All the images being shown from the activists on board those ships show clearly that they were civilians and peaceful in nature, with medical supplies on board. So it will surprise many in the international community to learn what could have possibly led to this type of confrontation," he said.

Protests

Condemnation has been quick to pour in after the Israeli action.

Thousands of Turkish protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul soon after the news of the operation broke. The protesters shouted "Damn Israel" as police blocked them.

Turkey is also reported to have summoned the Israeli ambassador to lodge a protest.

Meanwhile, Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, has dubbed the Israeli action as "barbaric".

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, including a Nobel laureate and several European legislators, are with the flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza in defiance of an Israeli embargo.

But Israel has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip and vowed to stop the six ships from reaching the coastal Palestinian territory.

The flotilla had set sail from a port in Cyprus on Sunday and aimed to reach Gaza by Monday morning.

Israel said the boats were embarking on "an act of provocation" against the Israeli military, rather than providing aid, and that it had issued warrants to prohibit their entrance to Gaza.

Category:

News & Politics

[SavingOfHumanity]

In the Bible it says "Thou shall not kill". It does not say "Thou shall not kill, unless you are israeli".

By the way...did anyone catch the video of these "evil terrorist thugs" treating injured IDF soldiers?

There's some humanitarian aid for you.

[LlBERATION]

@SavingOfHumanity Well said.

[virtualrainbow]

"There are 1.5 million people living in Gaza and only one of them really needs humanitarian aid,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said. “Only one of them is locked in a tiny room and never sees the light of day, only one of them is not allowed visits and is in uncertain health - his name is Gilad Shalit, and this month four years will have passed since he was kidnapped.”

[danny1st]

@SavingOfHumanity Does it say: "Thou shall aboard a ship with paintball gun and get smacked without switching to live ammo"?

[Eldaruss]

Should have sinked "flotilla of propaganda", the world reaction would be the same.

[LongLiveTheJew613]

Respond to this video... EVEN ON THE FLOTILLA IT WAS 7 OF THEM AND 6 OF THEM LET ISRAELI COMMANDOS ON BOARD TO MAKE SURE IT WAS REALLY FILLED WITH AID.. BUT THE LAST ONE DIDNT HAVE ANY PEACEFULL INTENT IT JUST WANTED US TO FAIL SO THEY DIDNT EVEN LET THE SOLDIERS GO ONBOARD THEY BEAT THE FIRST SOLDIER TO COME ON DECK OFF A ROPE FROM THE HELICOPTER THEY BEAT HIM AND THE REST WITH METAL RODS... THATS A PALESTINIAN PEACE ACTIVIST FOR U.. WITH WEAPONS

[LongLiveTheJew613]

@derryman87 FIRST OFF THE QURAN EVEN STATES WE R THE CHOSEN ONES AND NOT ONLY THAT IT SAYS ALLAH GAVE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THE LAND OF AVRAHAM WHICH IS ISRAEL.. SO R U TELLING ME UR QURAN IS A MISTAKE? IN ISRAEL WE DONT OPPRESS MUSLIMS OR ARABS OR ANYONE.. WE FIGHT TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY.. BEC HAMAS SHOOTS ROCKETS, MISSLES AND MORTAR FIRE AT US DAILY SO WE HAVE NO CHOICE.. BUT ARABS HAVE A CHOICE LET ISRAEL LIVE AND EXIST AND GET PEACE.. BUT IF U KEEP ATTACKING THEN EXPECT TO DIE "SELF DEFENSE"

[LongLiveTheJew613]

@SavingOfHumanity ACTUALY IT SAYS THOU SHAL NOT KILL UNLESS ITS IN SELF DEFENSE AND WE WUDNT BREAK ALLAH'S LAWS EVER.. ITS YOU PPL WHO KILL ANYONE AND ANYTHING ASLONG AS YOU C BLOOD YOU GET TO SCREAM ALLAH ACHBAR...YOU MUSLIMS KILL EACHOTHER MORE THEN ANYOTHER NATION... YOU PPL R LIKE A WILD PACK OF DOGS.. AND ISRAEL NEVER ATTACKED ANY FLOTILLA I DONO WHAT UR TALKIN ABOUT? ISRAEL WENT ON THE FLOTILLA TO MAKE SURE NO WEAPONS R BEING BROUGHT INTO GAZA.. AND YOU ATTACKED US THATS A FACT...

[virtualrainbow]

@derryman87

1. you believe in jesus - very uninteresting and completely irrelevant

2.have YOU been to gaza? just cause there is more anti-israel propaganda out there does NOT mean that it is correct.all news is bias.

3 the word "occupiers" is wrong. 1967- israel won a DEFENSIVE war against arab countries. in so doing re-conquered land. the word "occupiers" is a marketing ploy to make it seem like Jews dont belong there. However, Jews have ALWAYS been in israel. only fleeing by force.

[yairbe5]

@derryman87 Yes i do know that,that fact was discovered during the investigation as well as in the Danish report about the IHH.

[derryman87]

@yairbe5 do you know that or you just speaking out of your ass, you ignorant prick!!!!

[derryman87]

@hezi0509 you are the terrorist, Israel is a murder state that oppresses Muslims because they believe they're the chosen ones, get the f our here we all are the chosen ones we all are sons of the all mighty, well all have needs, we all laugh, cry, suffer, the only reason terrorism exits today is because of "countries" like Israel savagely attack and oppress the Muslims so they get back at them in the only way they can, is this the right thing to do? in my opinion no but i don't live there so.

[derryman87]

@virtualrainbow you are a ignorant!!! have you seen the levels of poverty in Gaza?? you ignorant occupier and i am not even a Muslim I am Believer in Jesus Christ, he died for us, all of us, not only the Jews which by the way were the ones that killed Jesus...

[hezi0509]

Today everyone knows that the Israelis were just fine and the Turks support terrorists and there were no peace activists on board

Israel is fighting terrorism all the time and the world does not help her and fear of Muslims