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Template:Campaignbox Arab-Israeli conflict

The Gaza flotilla clash occurred in international waters, part of the Mediterranean Sea, on 31 May 2010, when a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists attempted to breach the Gaza blockade and was intercepted by Israeli naval forces. Israeli forces boarded the flotilla after it refused requests to change its route to the port of Ashdod where the cargo could be filtered by Israel for contraband such as cement, notebooks, and toys before delivery to Gaza.

Five of the six ships were seized without the use of force. However, reports say that between 9 and 19 passengers of the Turkish-flagged MV Mavi Marmara were killed in violent clashes with Israeli soldiers who landed on the ship, with up to 60 passengers and 10 Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers wounded. Both sides claim the violence was a result of self-defense.

Background

The six-ship flotilla, composed of Turkish, Irish, American, Swedish and Greek flagged ships, was organized to ship humanitarian aid, including building materials such as cement which Israel classifies as "banned materials", to the Gaza Strip, in violation of the Blockade of Gaza. The passengers included intellectuals and journalists from all around the world, especially Sweden, Germany and United Kingdom. The ships were owned or chartered by a number of non-governmental organizations, including the Free Gaza Movement (FGM), the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedom and Humanitarian Relief and the Greek Boat for Gaza.

It was the ninth time that the FGM had tried to ship aid to Gaza. Five aid shipments had been allowed through prior to the Gaza war of 2008–09 but all shipments following the war were blocked by Israeli forces. The latest flotilla was the largest to date, carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and supplies. It also carried journalists, European parliamentarians and 700 pro-Palestinian activists, including the Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, and the head of the Israeli Islamic Movement in Israel Raed Salah. Many of those aboard were Turkish citizens, though the flotilla also included activists from Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Malaysia, Norway, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Israeli spokesmen stated that the flotilla would not be permitted to reach Gaza but would be redirected to the port of Ashdod, where a special detention facility had been set up for the activists. Israeli officials also claimed that all non-banned cargo would be transferred to Gaza after undergoing a security inspection. Foreigners would be deported or, if they did not willingly agree to be deported, detained. Activists aboard the ships repeatedly said they would not respond with violence to the navy's interception of their flotilla prior to the boarding.

Activist ships involved

• Challenger 1
• Challenger 1I
• Eleftheri Mesogeios
• MV Mavi Marmara (Blue Marmara)
• MV Rachel Corrie
• Sfendoni

Events leading up to the clash

The flotilla began its journey on Sunday 30 May 2010 from international waters off the coast of Cyprus, after the government of Cyprus refused to cooperate with the Free Gaza Movement, or allow activists to sail from its harbors, with the Cyprus Police stating that "anything related to the trip to Gaza is not permitted". The flotilla sailed after two days of delays, aiming to reach Gaza on Monday afternoon. The Israeli Navy made initial contact with the flotilla at 11 p.m. (23:00) on 30 May, 200 kilometres (120 mi) offshore in international waters, ordering the ships to follow them to port or otherwise be boarded.

The Israeli navy contacted the captain of the Mavi Marmara, asking him to identify himself and say where the ship was headed. Shortly after, two Israeli naval vessels flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance, and an Israeli aircraft flew overhead.

Just before the raid, the Israeli Navy again contacted the Mavi Marmara, warning it that it was approaching an "area of hostility which is under naval blockade", and telling it that it could instead dock in the Port of Ashdod, where the supplies would be delivered through the "formal land crossings" under the observation of activists, after which the fleet would be allowed to leave to their home ports. The Mavi Marmara replied "Negative, negative. Our destination is Gaza".

Boarding

The flotilla had planned to break through the Gaza blockade, despite Israel's proposal for the activists to dock in Ashdod port and transfer the aid through there. After the flotilla activists ignored repeated calls to turn back, Israeli soldiers from the Shayetet 13 unit boarded the ships at around 04:00 IST with paintball rifles and handguns. while in international waters 64 kilometres (40 mi) out to sea.

Mavi Marmara boarding

According to the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), activists on the Mavi Marmara responded with violence and soldiers were forced to fire in self-defense. The Israeli military released video footage to support this claim, which they claim shows the first soldier being attacked while boarding and thrown to the lower deck; at least one incident in which a stun grenade and fire bomb was thrown at the soldiers; and activists beating one of the soldiers and trying to kidnap him while others are beating the soldiers with a metal pole. According to Major Avital Leibovich of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the activists attacked the soldiers with pistols, knives, slingshots, spikes and clubs. A spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement said in response that the activists were committed not to pose any violent resistance. "The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance." According to Al Jazeera's journalist Jamal Elshayyal, on board the ship, a white surrender flag was raised from the ship and there was no live fire coming from the activists.

Israeli military's account

According to the Israeli military, activists armed with knives, bats, slingshots used for shooting glass marbles, and metal pipes attacked commandos as they fast-roped from helicopters. Soldiers were reportedly beaten badly, but attempted to fight back. The Israeli commandos said they were prepared to encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, and were armed with paintball guns and handguns as sidearms. The commandos were instructed not to use the sidearms except in an emergency, when their lives were at risk. According to the Israeli Navy, the soldiers were told they were to verbally convince activists to give up, and if not successful, use paintballs. The army instructed the commando soldiers to use their handguns only under extreme circumstances. A soldier was said to have been stabbed and seriously injured. The Israeli military said that activists grabbed soldiers and tried to hold them hostage, stripping them of their helmets and equipment. Two soldiers had their handguns wrested away, which were subsequently fired at the Israeli forces. An Israeli commando said "There was live fire at some point against us ... They were shooting at us from below deck." A second helicopter ferried in an additional 30 commandos who were also attacked as they descended. A firebomb and stun grenade were both thrown at troops. The commandos remained pinned down, and the planned rush towards the vessel's bridge became impossible. Commandos also boarded the ship from speedboats, but activists beat their hands as they climbed aboard. Stun grenades were used in an attempt to disperse activists, but they continued to attack soldiers. A soldier was grabbed and thrown off a deck onto a lower deck 30 feet below, where he sustained a severe head injury. The commander of the operation then authorized the use of live ammunition. Commandos used their handguns to fire at activists' legs, which successfully dispersed them. The commandos then began to advance towads the bridge, and fired at attacking activists. This time, the commandos shot to kill. The commandos reached the bridge and took over the ship after 30 minutes. Some fighting can be seen in videos released by the Israeli military and Free Gaza activists.

Flotilla organizers' and activists' account

Organizers of the convoy have strongly denied the account of Israeli military. Arafat Shoukri, of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM), one the co-organizers of the flotilla convey, said those on board one ship had called them by telephone to say that Israeli helicopters had arrived. "Then we started to hear screams, shouting, shooting everywhere," he said. "We heard some of them shouting 'We are raising the white flag, stop shooting at us'". He dismissed Israel's claims of activists having weapons on board as "cheap propaganda".

Due to communications blackout after attack, it has been so far difficult to get accounts from activists on board.

Sfendoni boarding

According to the Greek NGO Boat for Gaza, both the Sfendoni and the Mavi Marmara came under live fire.

Claims of weapons found onboard

Israel said there were weapons on board: "We found weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces". Activists said that would be impossible because "all the boats were carefully inspected by the government before they left the port of departure." Video footage was reported to show slingshots and pipes found on the ship used against boarding Israeli soldiers. Turkish officials denied that weapons were on board, stating that every passenger had been searched with X-ray machines and metal detectors before boarding. Senior officials in the Customs Undersecretariat called the Israeli allegations tantamount to "complete nonsense".

Following the clash

Following the clash, Israeli naval forces began towing the flotilla's vessels to Ashdod, from where the activists are to be deported. Israel said humanitarian aid confiscated from the ships would be transferred to Gaza, but Israel would not transfer banned items such as cement.

A statement released by the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel claimed that violence against the soldiers was pre-planned, and that several pistols and "light weaponry" were found on the ships.

Arrests

At least 32 activists who had been onboard the ships were arrested and incarcerated by the Israel Prisons Service after refusing to sign deportation orders, including two who were wounded but refused hospital treatment. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin was reported to be "furious" that Israel had kidnapped Irish citizens in international waters and brought them to Israel where they would then be deported. He judged these acts to be contradictory, issuing a statement after dealing with his Israeli ambassador: "They were essentially kidnapped from international waters, taken into Israel. And now they are being asked to sign a document almost confirming that they entered illegally. And we think that is unacceptable. I have said this to the Ambassador - it makes no sense. These people should be released unconditionally."

Deaths and injuries

Full details as to the exact number of injuries and deaths were not immediately available because Israel military censors blocked that information from the press.

Activists

Reports indicate that at least 9 activists have been killed and dozens more injured. The Israeli military has said most of the dead were Turks.

Israeli

Israeli reports say that 10 soldiers were injured in the clash. The Israeli military reported that two soldiers had sustained gunshot wounds, and one soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost consciousness after being tossed from an upper deck by the activists.

Notable people onboard FGM flotilla

There were 25 EU MP's aboard or planned to be aboard the vessels.

Legality of raid

Mark Regev, spokesman for the Prime Minister of Israel, has stated that "the San Remo memorandum states, specifically 67A, that if you have a boat that is charging a blockaded area you are allowed to intercept even prior to it reaching the blockaded area if you've warned them in advance, and that we did a number of times and they had a stated goal which they openly expressed, of breaking the blockade. That blockade is in place to protect our people."

Robbie Sabel of Hebrew University, an international law expert, has stated that "a state, in a time of conflict, can impose an embargo, and while it cannot carry out embargo activities in the territorial waters of a third party, it can carry out embargo activities in international waters. Within this framework it is legal to detain a civilian vessel trying to break an embargo and if in the course of detaining the vessel, force is used against the forces carrying out the detention then that force has every right to act in self defense."

A group of Israeli lawyers which included Avigdor Feldman, petitioned the Israeli High Court charging that Israel had violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by capturing the boats in international waters. Robbie Sabel, the former legal adviser to the Israeli foreign ministry, told The Jerusalem Post that the state would almost certainly argue that the seizure of the vessels was an executive act with which the court was not authorized to intervene.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, comprising of 57 countries, described the flotilla incident as "a serious escalation and a flagrant violation of the international law and human values." The organization further said it would initiate action at the level of the Security Council and the Human Rights Commission to examine the fallout of the attack.

Consequences

Following the raid, Israel sounded an alert throughout the entire country in response to possible rocket attacks by Hezbollah. Turkey warned that all further supply vessels would be escorted by the Turkish Navy.

International reaction

There has been strong reaction from the international community regarding Israel's actions.

See also

• 2007–2010 blockade of the Gaza Strip

References

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External links

• Video: Close-Up Footage of Israeli soldiers boarding the Mavi Marmara Israel defence force video – (YouTube)
• Video: Helicoptor Footage of Israeli soldiers boarding the Mavi Marmara Israel defence force video – (YouTube)
• Video: Weapons Found on the Flotilla Ship Mavi Marmara Used by Activists Against IDF Soldiers Israel defence force video – (YouTube)
• "Gaza Freedom flotilla carried world-renowned names and veteran activists" - The Guardian (lists passengers)
• "Q&A: The Gaza Freedom flotilla" - The Guardian

• 2010 in international relations
• 2010 in the Palestinian territories
• Blockades
• Current events
• Greece-Israel relations
• International maritime incidents
• Israel–Turkey relations
• Israel – United States relations
• Maritime incidents in 2010
• Military operations involving Israel
• Political activism