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32°38′28″N 33°34′02″E / 32.64113°N 33.56727°E / 32.64113; 33.56727 Template:Fix bunching

Gaza flotilla raid
Map of the respective routes of the Gaza-bound flotilla (green) and of the Israeli Navy (orange).
Location	International waters of the Mediterranean Sea
Coordinates	32.64113 N 33.56727 E
Date	31 May 2010 (2010-05-31) 4:30 a.m. (UTC+3)
Deaths	8 Turkish passengers and 1 Turkish-American passenger
Injured	Several dozen passengers and seven IDF commandos.

Template:Fix bunching

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The Gaza flotilla raid, code named Operation Sea Breeze by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was the boarding and seizure of six ships from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in May 2010. The flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid and building supplies to the Gaza Strip, with the intent to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. The six ships gathered near Cyprus, and departed on 30 May 2010 carrying 663 people from 37 countries. Israeli commandos seized the ships in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea after the flotilla refused Israel's requests to have the cargos inspected at the port of Ashdod and items permitted by Israel delivered by land.

Activists aboard the flotilla's largest ship, the MV Mavi Marmara, clashed with Israeli Shayetet 13 special forces as they abseiled onto the deck of the vessel. Nine IHH activists were killed by the Israeli commandos, dozens were wounded, and hundreds were detained. Seven of the commandos were also wounded. The wounded activists were evacuated by Israeli air force helicopters to hospitals in Israel, where they were treated alongside the wounded Israeli soldiers. Israeli soldiers said they used their pistols only after their lives were endangered, while several activists on board said that the IDF had opened fire on the ship before boarding. Israeli officials have accused the IHH of sending a group of activists on the MV Mavi Marmara determined to instigate violence; the IHH rejected the accusation. It was the ninth attempt since 2008 to break the blockade by sea, but the first that resulted in deaths. Israel seized and inspected 70 truck-loads of the flotilla's cargo and requested the UN to oversee their transfer to Gaza. Hamas authorities initially refused to accept the aid, but later accepted UN responsibility. Aid distribution negotiations are under way between the IHH, which co-sponsored the flotilla, and the UN.

The raid prompted widespread international reactions, including condemnation from national authorities, supranational bodies and NGOs, as well as demonstrations around the world. The United Nations Security Council condemned "those acts resulting in civilian deaths," demanded an impartial investigation of the raid, and called for the immediate release of civilians held by Israel. Israel responded by releasing the non-Israeli detainees and deporting them back to their countries. The incident seriously threatened the already deteriorating relations between Turkey and Israel.

Israel has rejected calls from the United Nations and by governments all over the world for an international investigation into its raid on the Gaza aid flotilla. Israel has formed a domestic commission of inquiry to investigate the raid, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Jacob Turkel and including two international observers. Some countries still request an international investigation.

Background

The Gaza Strip has land borders with Israel and Egypt, and a sea border on the Mediterranean. Egypt and Israel largely keep their borders with the territory sealed. After the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel tightened the blockade of the Gaza Strip, maintaining that the blockade is necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on its cities and to prevent Hamas from obtaining other weapons. It argued that following the takeover of Gaza by Hamas and the intensification of Qassam rocket attacks, it is not legally responsible for Gaza and not obliged to help what it considers a hostile territory beyond whatever is necessary to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

As of April 2010, movement of Palestinians via Rafah and Erez crossings controlled by the Egyptian and the Israeli authorities, respectively, remained largely restricted and limited to medical and other humanitarian cases. According to Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration, every day about 100 trucks are allowed to enter Gaza via Kerem Shalom Crossing. Israeli human rights organization Gisha, the Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, obtained an Israeli government document which says "A country has the right to decide that it chooses not to engage in economic relations or to give economic assistance to the other party to the conflict, or that it wishes to operate using 'economic warfare' ".

Israel allows limited humanitarian supplies from aid organizations into the Gaza Strip. According to an Amnesty International report; some of the blocked items include petrol, construction material, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, pasta, clothing, toys, hygiene products, generators, glass, and medical supplies. Numerous reports and statements by the United Nations and independent NGOs, and Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, stated that the blocking of various supplies by Israel was creating a humanitarian crisis in the region. According to the activists, this was a collective punishment of the civilian population in Gaza and thus illegal under international law, a view echoed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Flotilla organisation and initial leg

Free Gaza Movement

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, comprised of eight ships, was organized to break Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. This was the tenth time that the Free Gaza Movement had tried to ship aid to Gaza. Five aid shipments had been allowed through prior to the 2008–09 Gaza War, but all shipments following the war were blocked by Israeli forces. This flotilla, the largest sent by far, was supported with one large passenger ship and two cargo ships by an Islamic aid group from Turkey, the IHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı); ("The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief").

IHH

IHH is a Turkish NGO established in 1992 and officially registered in Istanbul since 1995. It operates in more than 100 countries and provides humanitarian relief in areas of war, earthquake, hunger, and conflict. The IHH has held Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2004. Its activities have been banned by Israel, which sees it as an organization close to Hamas.

Cargo

The ships were carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, with an estimated value of $20 million, including food, wheelchairs, books, toys, electricity generators, and medicine. The building materials such as cement which made up 4/5 of the cargo's gross weight are banned by Israel as part of the blockade. Palestinian official said on 27 May 2010 that Israel allowed entry via Kerem Shalom Crossing of cement for UNRWA projects and steel to rebuild Al-Qudes Hospital. UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness said on 16 June 2010 that for the last two months they have been getting cement in. "No terrorist has taken it, they've not built bunkers out of it" Gunness said. Israel prevents cement and other building materials from reaching Gaza Government, arguing that although they have legitimate uses, they might also be used for military purposes. Israel had said before that it would be willing to allow in cement under international supervision. Organizers said that building materials were necessary to rebuild the homes and infrastructure of Gaza that were seriously damaged in the 2008–09 Gaza War.

People on board

There were in total 663 participants from 37 nations on board the flotilla. Notable people aboard the flotilla included Israeli-Arab member of Knesset Haneen Zoubi, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel Raed Salah, Swedish novelist Henning Mankell, and a number of parliamentarians from European and Arab national legislatures and the European Parliament.

Ships

Flag	Name	Organisation	Port	Passengers	Crew	Cargo
USA	Challenger 1	Free Gaza Movement	Heraklion
USA	Challenger 2	Free Gaza Movement	Heraklion
Greece	MS Eleftheri Mesogeios	Greek Ship to Gaza	Piraeus			Wheelchairs, building materials, medicine
Greece	Sfendoni	Greek Ship to Gaza, European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza	Piraeus
Comoros	MV Mavi Marmara	IHH	Antalya	581
Turkey	Gazze	IHH	Antalya	5	13	2,104 tons of cement, 600 tons of construction steel, and 50 tons of tiles
Kiribati	Defne Y	IHH	Antalya	27	23	150 tons of iron, 98 power units, 50 precast homes, 16 units of children's playground equipment, food, shoes, medicine, wheelchairs, clothing items, notebooks and textbooks
Cambodia	MV Rachel Corrie	Free Gaza Movement	Dundalk	11	8	550 tons of cement, 20 tons of paper, 100 tons of high-end medical equipment, wheelchairs, books, fabric, and thread

Challenger 2 and MV Rachel Corrie were behind the rest of the flotilla due to mechanical problems, possibly due to an Israeli sabotage. Challenger 2 aborted, but the Rachel Corrie continued its journey.

Initial leg

The incoming fleet was known to Israel government, military intelligence and press. Israel declared that the flotilla was "about to break international law"; with one of the flotilla's organizers, Greta Berlin, saying "e have the right to sail from international waters into the waters of Gaza".

An Israeli spokesman announced that the convoy would not be permitted to reach Gaza but would be redirected by force to the port of Ashdod, where "large tents and other facilities had been set up at the port to receive the activists, so that either Israel or humanitarian agencies could deliver them to Gaza overland." Israeli officials also said that all non-banned cargo would be transferred to Gaza after undergoing a security inspection, which would mean not allowing some of the activist's supplies, such as concrete and cement through. Foreigners would be deported or, if they did not willingly agree to be deported, detained.

The flotilla organisers rejected Israel's demand, saying that Israelis would not let the reconstruction aid into Gaza, and further "This mission is not about delivering humanitarian supplies, it's about breaking Israel's siege on 1.5 million Palestinians... We want to raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of Gaza and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end its support for continued Israeli occupation."

Some supporters of the flotilla announced on 28 May: "A violent response from Israel will breathe new life into the Palestine solidarity movement, drawing attention to the blockade." Some of the activists who would later die during the MV Mavi Marmara clash spoke in terms that suggested they put religious duty before their lives. On 29 May, Aljazeera broadcast footage of some activists on the MV Mavi Marmara participating in a chant invoking battle against Jews.

Six of the eight ships in the flotilla set out on 30 May 2010 from international waters off the coast of Cyprus; the remaining two were delayed by mechanical problems and did not join the rest of the flotilla. During a briefing to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of the Knesset, Israel's legislature, Israeli colonel Itzik Turgeman hinted that the Israeli Defense Forces had sabotaged the engines of five ships belonging to the flotilla, saying that "they took care of them."

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," and as a result remaining MPs and activists embarked instead from Famagusta in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. Cypriot and Greek MPs and activists refused to embark via ports in Northern Cyprus. Having been delayed by two days, the flotilla aimed to reach Gaza on the afternoon of 31 May.

Boarding

The flotilla had planned to break through the Gaza blockade, ignoring Israel's demand for the activists to dock in Ashdod port and transfer the permitted items in the cargo through there. After the flotilla activists refused orders to change course, Israeli soldiers from the Shayetet 13 unit boarded the ships on May 31, 2010, at around 04:00 IST with sidearms and paintball guns while in international waters about 80 miles (130 km) out to sea.

Initial contact

The Israeli Navy made initial contact with the flotilla at 11 p.m. (2000 UTC) on 30 May, about 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Gaza, 80 miles (130 km) off the coast of southern Lebanon, in international waters, ordering the ships to follow them to port or otherwise be boarded.

According to Israel radio the following message was sent by the Israeli navy to the captain of the Mavi Marmara: "You are approaching an area of hostilities, which is under a naval blockade. Gaza coastal area and Gaza Harbour are closed to maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in Gaza Strip and invites you to enter Ashdod port. Delivery of supplies will be in accordance with the authorities' regulations and through the formal land crossing to Gaza and under your observation, after which you can return to your home ports." The reply was: "Negative, negative. Our destination is Gaza." Shortly after, two Israeli naval vessels flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance, and an Israeli aircraft flew overhead. Among the Israeli vessels participating was the Sa'ar 5-class corvette INS Lahav.

Five days after the raid, IDF released an audio recording purporting to be of a radio exchange between the Israeli Navy and the flotilla. After Israeli warnings that the ships are approaching a blockade, voices responded "Go back to Auschwitz!" and "Don't forget 9/11". Denis Healey, the captain of Challenger I, and activist Huwaida Arraf who was on the bridge of the ship, have disputed the authenticity of the recording. Israel has conceded that it is impossible to trace who made the comments, or from which ship, because they were made on an open channel. An Israeli journalist who was on board an IDF ship confirmed the IDF accounts.

Mavi Marmara boarding

The boarding of the Mavi Marmara resulted in violent clashes between activists and Israeli soldiers. Each side claims that the other started the violence, and the parties disagree on who acted in self-defense against illegitimate actions of the other side.

The operation started in the early morning at 4:30. Speedboats and three Black Hawk helicopters, each with a team of 15 soldiers equipped with pistols and paint ball guns, approached the flotilla. The Mavi Marmara's passengers later reported gunfire, blue flares and deafening noise from the first helicopter at this time. During the raid, a number of passengers were wounded and killed by Israeli soldiers.

Journalists' accounts

Ron Ben-Yishai, a veteran war correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth was aboard the Victory, an Israeli missile ship. He said the army planned to land a team on the top deck and rush the bridge and take control. He reported that that the assessment was that the passengers would show "light resistance and possibly minor violence". He said the soldiers were told to confront protesters verbally, use crowd control tactics and use firearms only to save their own lives. The commandos were not able to rush the bridge as planned and another helicopter was sent with a second troop. At first, the soldiers attempted to stop the violence with stun grenades; however, after a soldier was reported injured, the troops then asked for permission to use their firearms, which they received.

Al Jazeera journalist Jamal Elshayyal, aboard the Mavi Marmara, said that passengers took apart some of the railing bars of the ship when they saw the Israeli ship approaching from a distance and that he saw "a number of Israeli soldiers being beaten with them" as soon as they tried to come aboard. "the first shots that were fired were either some sort of sound grenades...there was tear gas that was fired, as well as rubber-coated steel bullets...the live fire came roughly five minutes after that." He continued that "one of the passengers who was on the side of the deck holding a water hose, trying to hose off, if you will, the advancing Israeli Navy, was shot in his arm". Israel has asserted that it did not begin firing live weapons until after the guns of two soldiers on board were taken by passengers, however Elshayyal said "There is no doubt from what I saw that live ammunition was fired before any Israeli soldier was on deck." Elshayyal said two persons were killed before the soldiers had started boarding and three persons died while passengers including a Knesset member, tried in vain to make the soldiers help the wounded. He said he "heard accounts of three, in fact, Israeli soldiers being taken captive during the battle, and those accounts that once they had been taken captive, the intensity of the fighting increased, so the organizers of the ship ordered that these soldiers be released lest the passengers be inflicted more harm."

Al Jazeera cameraman Andre Abu Khalil, also aboard the ship, said to Reuters that the initial wave of Israeli soldiers were overpowered but that there were four captured rather than three, who were "brought to the lowest deck (with) fracture wounds" and only after that live ammunition was used. Abu Khalil went on: "Twenty Turkish men formed a human shield to prevent the Israeli soldiers from scaling the ship." "They were banging the pipes on the side of the ship to warn the Israelis not to get closer." The standoff lasted about 10 minutes until the Israelis opened fire, he said: "One man got a direct hit to the head and another one was shot in the neck." Then one activist used a loudhailer to tell the Israelis the captive soldiers would be released if they provided medical help for the wounded. Haneen Zoubi, a member of the Knesset who was among the activists, mediated. The army agreed and the wounded were brought to the top deck and airlifted off the ship. "The most we had was a kitchen knife and sling shots." Al Jazeera cameraman said.

Activists' and flotilla organizers' accounts

Due to a communications blackout after the attack, it was initially difficult to get accounts from activists on board. The activists began making statements to the press after they were released and deported.

According to the captain of the Mavi Marmara, Mehmut Tuval, some activists aboard the ship "were preparing to use violence against the Israeli soldiers." He noticed that some activists were cutting chains and steel off of the ship using rotary saws (which were not part of the ship's equipment) roughly two hours before the IDF came aboard. He asked his chief officer to collect weapons the activists were planning on using and dispose of them into the sea.

The wife of the Mavi Marmara's chief engineer, Nilüfer Ören, stated that IDF began tracking them after 90 miles (140 km), there were about 40 ships surrounding the convoy and the announcement was made while the commandos were boarding from helicopters at 04:45 am. She also said that sound bombs and smoke bombs were used. Therefore activists and crew members used gas masks.

According to Mavi Marmara activists and personnel, Israel initially opened fire with warning shots but when the ship didn't stop the attack began. Activists said that sound and smoke bombs were used and then IDF commandos surrounded the ship and boarded from helicopters and from the sea. Robert Mackey of The New York Times suggested that the passengers on the ship may have mistaken the flash grenades and paintball guns for deadly weapons, which enraged them. Espen Goffen, a 38-year-old activist from Norway who sailed aboard the Mavi Marmara, said the Israeli commandos "started off with some kind of paintball bullets with glass in them that left terrible soft tissue wounds. And then rubber bullets. And then live ammunition afterward." Kevin Neish, an activist from Canada aboard Mavi Marmarahad denied that passengers were armed or that they attacked the soldiers. Activist Espen Goffeng said that "he defense of the boat was quite well organized". Norman Paech, a former member of the German parliament Left Party who was aboard the Marmara said he only saw three activists resisting. "They had no knives, no axes, only sticks that they used to defend themselves," he told reporters. But he said he could "not rule out" that others used weapons somewhere else on the boat. Mohamed Beltagy, an Egyptian member of parliament who had also been on the ship said Egyptian television program "10 at Night" that the flotilla participants overcame three Israeli commandos and snatched their weapons from them. His admission of employing force against IDF soldiers was accepted as truthful in Egypt, as evidenced by the heavy criticism of him in the Egyptian media, not for exaggerating or lying, but for granting Israel a "public relations gift."

IHH president Bülent Yıldırım said that "passengers on the ship showed civil resistance, the press was there, and that the İHH (had) called on the passengers not to allow Israeli soldiers in". Yıldırım told Qatari newspaper list of 16 activists to be assassinated "fell from the pocket of an Israeli commando during the boarding" and also confirmed that Israeli soldiers tried to assassinate leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah. Yıldırım also said that photographer Cevdet Kılıçlar was shot in the head by a soldier one meter away. British activist Kevin Ovenden confirmed that a man was shot by soldiers after pointing his camera towards them. Forensic investigation found that Kılıçlar was shot in the head at close range.

Flotilla proponents and Turkish charity group leaders said that since the ships were on international waters, "even if we had used guns", abandoning the non-violence principle would still be legal as self-defense from Israeli "kidnapping" and "piracy". Prof. Mattias Gardell who was on-board stated that the soldiers came on-board with sharp loaded weapons with laser sights and at least four persons were killed execution style. Arafat Shoukri, of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM), one the co-organizers of the flotilla convoy, said those on board one ship had called them by telephone to say that Israeli helicopters had arrived. "We heard some of them shouting We are raising the white flag, stop shooting at us" he said. He called Israeli accounts of activists having pistols and other weapons "cheap propaganda".

Activist Huwaida Arraf reported that once onboard the Challenger 1, Israeli troops seized all communication equipment, cameras and memory cards from activists.

Haneen Zoubi, a Palestinian Arab citizen of Israel who currently serves as a member of the Knesset, said that IDF soldiers refused to offer medical aid to several wounded activists at her request, who died shortly after. She also said that soldiers opened fire before abseiling onto the deck. With her fluent Hebrew she acted as translator between IDF soldiers and the activists, also relaying requests for medical aid, water and the chance to pray. Writer Edda Manga said five of the activists died directly while the rest died because they were denied medical treatment. Egyptian MP Hazem Farouq, British activist Sarah Colborne, Turkish activist Nilüfer Ören, Al-Jazeera cameraman Issam Zaatar, and Turkish actor Sinan Albayrak were also among those who confirmed in their statements that the Israeli soldiers did not allow the critically wounded to receive immediate medical assistance. Israel's immediate concern on was what to do about the boats and their passengers: it ferried the wounded to various hospitals in Israel by helicopter and towed the six ships to port.

Kenneth O'Keefe, a former US commando who renounced his US citizenship, told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, how the activists overpowered three Israeli Navy commandos, which were taken to the bottom of the ship after their weapons were tossed to the sea. "The lives of the three commandoes were at our mercy – we could have done with them whatever we wanted." Eventually, O'Keefe added, activists decided to release the soldiers unharmed. "They looked at us, and thought we were about to kill them, but then we let them go," he said. Kenneth O'Keefe's name was included on the terrorist list published by the Israeli Army. Turkish doctor, Dr. Hasan Huseyin Uysal, said to New York Times that he treated three Israeli commandos wounded. Dr. Uysal said that the soldiers sustained superficial wounds. "If people on board were so eager to hurt them, why would they not just shoot them to death once they had taken their guns? Why bother carting them inside for treatment? It just doesn’t add up," the doctor said.

On June 11 a video shot by documentary maker Iara Lee showing the events leading up to, and during the raid on the Mavi Marmara was released. At one point the captain of the boat can be heard over the public address system saying: "Do not show resistance … They are using live ammunition … Be calm, be very calm." Gunshots were then heard. A number of activists are seen in the video receiving medical treatment for wounds, including one man trying to be resuscitated. At the end of the footage a woman can be heard announcing over the PA: "We have no guns here, we are civilians taking care of injured people. Don't use violence, we need help." In the video one of the activists shows to the camera a waterproofed booklet allegedly taken from the Israeli commandos listing the names, with photos, of several key people among the passengers. The video, as explained by Lee, was smuggled off the ship in her underwear due to the Israeli confiscation of all photographic and film material. " came to kill," Iara Lee said.

Israeli Army accounts

According to the IDF, Israeli commandos prepared to encounter political activists seeking to hold a protest, were armed with paintball guns and handguns as sidearms. The soldiers had orders to peacefully convince the activists to give up, and if not successful, use non-lethal force to commandeer the ship. The commandos were instructed to use the sidearms in an emergency, when their lives were at risk.

The commandos fired warning shots and dropped stun grenades prior to abseiling to the ship. The IDF reported that the commandos were immediately attacked after descending from helicopters onto the deck of the ship, beaten, and stabbed. One soldier was thrown to a lower deck. Two Israeli commandos had their guns wrested away. An Israeli commando said that there was live fire at some point against them from below deck. Some of the commandos suffered gunshot wounds. According to Major Avital Leibovich of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the activists attacked the soldiers with knives, slingshots, spikes, and clubs, and with pistols that were seized from Israeli commandos. The Israeli Navy said they recovered 9mm shell casings of a kind not used by the Israeli commandos, suggesting that the activists had other weapons not seized from the IDF. They were reportedly thrown overboard prior to the Israeli commandos taking complete control of the ship. Israeli commandos also boarded the ship from boats. As the boats approached, activists fired water hoses and threw a box of plates and a stun grenade at them, and beat the hands of soldiers as they climbed on board.

Stun grenades and tear gas were used in an attempt to disperse activists. After this proved ineffective, the commandos requested and received permission to use live ammunition. The commandos then shot activists in the legs, which forced them to disperse. The commandos then advanced towards the bridge while firing at attacking activists. They reached the bridge and took over the ship after 30 minutes.

IDF Footage

The IDF released 20 videos of the incident. One video shows, according to IDF, each commando being attacked by metal pipes and bats as he was lowered by helicopter. IDF also reported that one soldier was thrown overboard and another to a lower deck. Other videos show at least one incident in which a stun grenade and fire bomb was thrown at the soldiers, as well activists beating one of the soldiers and trying to kidnap him. Another video, edited from the ship's surveillance footage, is described by the IDF as showing activists preparing for a clash hours before the Israeli Navy made contact with the ship. Another video allegedly shows the first four commandos to abseil onto the deck being attacked by activists with bars, axes and knives. According to IDF analysis of the video documenting the takeover, "the fourth commando saw his team leader on the deck, with a Turkish activist holding the pistol he had grabbed from him and pointing it to his head. He jumped from the rope and managed to shoot the gun wielding activist, 20 seconds after the first soldier landed on the deck".

Preliminary investigation

According to a preliminary navy investigation, some passengers attempted to take hostage three unconscious commandos by dragging them into one of the passenger halls below. They were held in passenger halls for several minutes until they regained consciousness and managed to join the other soldiers.

Official Israeli Response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing other Israeli accounts, said that the events represent a clear case of self-defense of the IDF soldiers.

The Israeli Supreme Court, which rejected several local legal suits against the flotilla raid, wrote in its verdict that "the soldiers were forced to respond in order to defend their lives."

Other boardings

Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman said, on the other five ships, "the people got off without a scratch." Numerous passengers aboard Challenger 1, Sfendoni, and Free Mediterrenean stated that the soldiers used tasers, plastic bullets, stun grenades, and beat up the passengers. A report in El Pais said that several people from other ships had also been wounded. Free Gaza organizer Huwaida Arraf, who herself was on the Challenger 1, said that some activists on the other five ships were beaten so severely they were hospitalized.

Sfendoni

Retired diplomat Edward Peck, who was on board the Sfendoni, said that the commandos were well-trained, and behaved reasonably well. The soldiers scuffled with a few activists trying to bar their access to the wheelhouse, but there were no major injuries, Peck said. Paul Larudee, a 64-year-old former linguistics professor from El Cerrito, California onboard the Sfendoni, was beaten and tased according to his family who said that Israeli consular officials informed them that Larudee, a pacifist, was beaten after refusing to follow the orders of troops.

Free Mediterranean

Swedish author Henning Mankell reports that Israeli troops abseiled onto the Free Mediterranean about an hour after the raid on the Mavi Marmara. Michalis Grigoropoulos, who was at the wheel of the ship according to British newspaper The Guardian, said that the Israeli commandos used electric shocks on those who tried to form a human ring on the bridge, and also used tear gas and live ammunition. In an eyewitness account, a reporter for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote that Israeli soldiers approached unarmed civilians with guns drawn and shot a 65 year old person with an electroshock weapon from a distance of ten centimeters. Mankell said soldiers shot "an older man in the crew, he was perhaps a little slow" with an electric gun, and another man with rubber bullets.

Challenger 1

The Challenger 1 accelerated its course in an attempt to allow journalists onboard to broadcast their photos of the ongoing raid. Huwaida Arraf, an American activist who was on the Challenger 1 reported that Israeli soldiers attacked those who tried to block them from taking over the vessel with kicks, tasers, and concussion grenades. She said that the Israelis smashed her face against the ground and stepped on it; later they cuffed her and put a bag over her head. First mate Shane Dillon reported that Israeli troops used stun guns and paintball guns to subdue activists on board, broke the nose of a Belgian woman among them, and beat another passenger. Australian photojournalist Kate Geraghty was attacked and tasered by Israeli troops aboard the Challenger 1, while attempting to photograph the raid.

Post-boarding

Investigation for on-board weapons

A statement released by the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel said that violence against the soldiers was pre-planned, and that "light weaponry" was found on the ships, including pistols that would have been seized from IDF commandos. Israel stated that the naval forces "found weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces." IDF photos displayed daggers, kitchen and pocket knives, metal and wooden poles, flares, wrenches and slingshots with marble projectiles said to have been used against the soldiers. The activists were said to have also lobbed stun grenades at IDF soldiers, and the IDF furnished video reflecting this. The IDF later reported that its searches of the ship uncovered a cache of bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, and gas masks. An activist said that it would have been impossible to have firearms on board because "all the boats were carefully inspected by the government before they left the port of departure." Turkish officials supported the activists' denials, stating that every passenger that had left Turkey had been searched with X-ray machines and metal detectors before boarding. Senior officials in the Customs Undersecretariat called the Israeli statements tantamount to "complete nonsense". A close-up picture of the same IDF setup of kitchen and other knives (compare pictures) the Jerusalem Post a leading Israeli newspaper presented as array of weapons: "The array of equipment found on board the ships that made up the Gaza aid flotilla was as divergent as the flotilla’s stated aims." A senior military Norwegian officer Palle Ydstebø said that the pictures show no military weapons and many common items found on any boat, but that some of the items are effective battlefield weapons, including types of weapons used in the intifada, and indicate that some activists may have premeditated violence.

On 4 June Walla! reported that a senior, but anonymous, IDF officer, interviewed by Kol Israel radio, said that activists threw weapons and firearms into the sea, and that rifle sights and bullet casings that do not match IDF firearms were found on the ship. Bülent Yıldırım, the head of the IHH which participated in the organization of the flotilla, said activists had rushed some of the soldiers and snatched their weapons, but had thrown them overboard without using them. The Israeli ambassador to Spain, Raphael Schutz, said that Israel had "never said that this flotilla was transporting arms for the Hamas terrorists."

Allegations regarding the intent of the parties

IHH president Bülent Yıldırım told Qatari newspaper that list of 16 activists to be assassinated "fell from the pocket of an Israeli commando during the boarding" and also confirmed that Israeli soldiers tried to assassinate leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah.

Israeli deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon told CNN that MV Mavi Marmara carried 600 peace activists and 75 mercenaries with links to al-Qaeda and other terror organizations. "They were well equipped and ambushed our soldiers. We found the money on their bodies, $10,000 apiece" he said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, that according to the information in his government possession, the group boarded separately in a different city and went on deck under different procedures. The IHH head Bülent Yıldırım denied the allegations. Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel released video that was shot on May 30 on board the Mavi Marmara of Bülent Yıldırım telling the IHH activists that the Israeli commandos will be thrown overboard if they attempt to board the ship. Israeli Army Radio reported that the captain of the Mavi Marmara tried to convince the group of IHH activists not to engage in violent clashes with the Israeli soldiers two hours prior to the boarding. Svante Cornell, a Swedish security expert, said: "It is not conceivable that the IHH’s Gaza operation could have been carried out absent high-level government sanction" and a journalist on board was reported to speak of support from the Turkish Government and instructions given by Prime Minister Erdoğan.

Fate of participants

Following the boardings, Israeli naval forces towed the flotilla's vessels to Ashdod, from where the activists were to be deported. Israel said humanitarian aid confiscated from the ships would be transferred to Gaza, but that it would not transfer banned items such as cement.

At least 32 activists who had been aboard the ships were arrested and incarcerated by the Israel Prisons Service, after they refused to sign deportation orders, including two who were wounded but refused hospital treatment. According to several passengers including Swedish author Henning Mankell, Israel confiscated all their belongings such as money, credit cards, mobile phones, laptops, cameras, and their personal belongings including clothes. They were only allowed to keep papers. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin described the arrests as "kidnapping" and questioned the logic of bringing the detainees to Israel only to deport them there, instead of giving them "unconditional release".

As of 1 June, Israel was detaining 480 activists captured in the raid at a prison in Ashdod. Reacting to intensifying international criticism of the raid, Israeli officials announced that all 680 activists held would be released, including two dozen Israel had threatened earlier to prosecute charging they had assaulted its troops.

On 1 June, witnesses to the Israeli raid on the flotilla returned to Greece and Turkey, where they provided the first eyewitness accounts. One of them, a Turkish mother whose one-year-old child was on board with her, had agreed to extradition from Israel after she was warned that the prison was "too harsh" for her baby. In the prison – another activist described – they were not allowed to contact lawyers, nor were they allowed to "go to the toilet, eat or drink water" and were videotaped throughout.

As of 1 June 2010, Israel planned to deport all of the foreign detained flotilla passengers within 48 hours of their arrival into Israel.

Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi was released on June 1. She has however been subjected to threats within the Knesset such as "o to Gaza, traitor" before being verbally abused and pushed out of the chamber. She has since received multiple death threats by phone and mail and is now under armed protection after nearly 500 people signed up to a Facebook page calling for her execution. She has since replied that "I am not scared," and that "his is inherent here, it is not something that started yesterday. It is just harder and harsher now."

Four other Arab Israelis remained detained: Muhammed Zeidan, Chairman of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel; Sheikh Raed Salah, Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (northern branch); Sheikh Hamad Abu Daabes, the Head of the Islamic Movement in Israel (southern branch); and Lubna Masarwa of the Free Gaza Movement and Al Quds University. On June 3, the Ashkelon Magistrates' Court accepted an appeal for their release with bail, and the conditions that they remain under house arrest until June 8, and do not leave the country for 45 days.

There have been accusations of the use of violence against detained activists while in Israeli conducted interrogations. One activist said that "uring their interrogation, many of them were badly beaten in front of us," and that "here was great mistreatment after our arrest." Mattias Gardell also said there was sleep deprivation and that he was beaten several times. They have also said that the treatment they received was different depending on their skin colour, ethnicity and if they had a Muslim sounding name.

Yalcin Buyuk said that 48 others suffered gunshot wounds. He, Ismail Patel and Sarah Colman have also said that six activists are not accounted for, suggesting that the number of casualties may rise. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Prime Minister of Turkey, said that there were not any people missing from the convoy.

The Guardian reported that a journalist and several activists had complained of charges being made to their confiscated debit cards and cell phones. An Israeli spokesman stated that any such illegal use of confiscated possessions would be investigated and that the punishment for such acts by military personnel was particularly severe.

Fate of aid cargo

At the same briefing, they said that they found construction equipment, including concrete and metal rods, that is not allowed to enter Gaza. The IDF said that all of the equipment that was on board was examined and that none of it was in shortage in Gaza. Most of the cargo on board is not considered aid in the traditional sense and was not packed properly for transport. On 2 June 2010, some of the aid was loaded onto eight trucks and delivered to Gaza. According to Israeli and Palestinian sources, as of 2 June 2010 Hamas refused to allow the humanitarian aid into Gaza until Israeli authorities released all flotilla detainees and allowed building materials, which are thought to make up the majority, 8,000 of the 10,000 tons of the goods, to reach them. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said, "We are not seeking to fill our (bellies), we are looking to break the Israeli siege on Gaza."

Fate of aid ships

At midday of May 31, 2010 IDF towed ships of the aid convoy to the Israeli port of Ashdod. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen requested "the immediate release of the detained civilians and ships held by Israel."

Casualties

Flotilla participants

Deaths

Nine activists were shot and killed in the raid, eight Turkish nationals and one American, all members of, or volunteers for, the IHH according to its president Bülent Yıldırım. The names and ages of the dead were: Cengiz Akyüz (42), Ali Heyder Bengi (39), İbrahim Bilgen (60), Furkan Doğan (19), Cevdet Kılıçlar (38), Cengiz Songür (47), Çetin Topçuoğlu (54), Fahri Yaldız, and Necdet Yıldırım (32). İbrahim Bilgen was a Turkish politician from the Felicity Party. Furkan Doğan was an American; his father said that he had not thought that he would be killed since he was an American.

Doğan was shot five times from less than 45 cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back according to forensic reports.

Turkish autopsy results showed that all of the 9 people shot had died of 9mm gunshot wounds, 5 of them from gunshot wounds to the head. The activists were shot 30 times in total, with many of them fired at close range. Five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, and at least four were shot from both front and back. "From the analysis of the bullet distance on one of the bodies," Dr. Haluk Ince, the director of Istanbul's Medical Examination Institute, said, "the gun was fired between 2 and 14 centimeters' distance from the victim's head." Furkan Doğan was shot five times from less that 45 cm, in the face, in the back of the head, twice in the leg and once in the back. 48 others suffered gunshot wounds and six activists were still missing.

Eight of the activists killed in the raid had a funeral in Istanbul on 3 June; the last funeral was held in Istanbul on 4 June.

Sarah Colborne, a British person who was on the flotilla and has returned home, has disputed Israel's figure of nine dead, and said more are missing.

US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey called the father of Furkan Doğan, a US citizen who was killed during the Israeli raid. “There is no reason to not launch an inquiry. The ambassador said the US will help establish a commission to investigate the incident,” Doğan noted.

Injuries

The raid also left dozens wounded. As of 16:00 on 31 May, thirty-four activists were hospitalized, nine of them in serious condition. Among the wounded was American activist Paul Larudee, who was beaten and tased according to information provided to his family by the US Consul General and his lawyers. Seven activists remained under treatment in Israeli hospitals on 3 June.

There were reports of scuffles at Ben Gurion International Airport. Ó Luain was injured when a row broke out with Israeli authorities but it is understood he was not seriously hurt. According to the flotilla activist Fintan Lan Ken, an Irish-American passenger was beaten by security officials at Tel Aviv airport before boarding, and had to be hospitalised.

Israeli military

Israel reported that seven soldiers were injured in the clash—two seriously. Two of the soldiers sustained gunshot wounds, and one soldier sustained a serious head wound and lost consciousness after being tossed from an upper deck by the activists. Channel 2 (Israel) has aired footage of an Israeli Navy sailor being stabbed by one of the activists.

Aftermath

On 31 May Israeli P.M. Netanyahu asked US President Barack Obama to veto any UN Security Council condemnation of Israel, but the president refused. At the UN Security Council, the US did however block demands for an international inquiry into the raid (similar to Richard Goldstone's inquiry into the Gaza war) and the criticism of Israel for violating international law, as proposed by Turkey, the Palestinians, and Arab nations.

Egypt opened its Rafah Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian and medical aid to enter following international criticism of the raid and a call for the border to be opened by Hamas's leader Khaled Meshaal. It is not clear how long it will remain open. According to an Egyptian security source, construction materials such as concrete and steel are still required to be transported via Israel's border crossings.

On 2 June, Israel decided to release over 600 of the detained activists.

On 4 June, the Israeli high court upheld the decision of attorney-general Yehuda Weinstein to halt the police investigation of the Mavi Marmara incident.

On 4 June, a Turkish state-run news agency announced that in the next two months a possible court case against Israel will begin, and that the official Turkish autopsy report will serve as an evidence against Israel there.

On 5 June, the Israeli government's press division apologized for circulating a link to a video, titled "We Con the World", that mocked activists on board. The film was created by a current columnist for the Jerusalem Post. According to Caroline Glick, the Jerusalem Post columnist who initiated the creation of the satirical video, the video was produced for Latma.tv, an Israeli media satire Web site she edits. The website is an initiative of the Center for Security Policy, a staunchly conservative organization located in Washington.

On 13 June, Defense Minister Ehud Barak cancelled a previously scheduled trip to France amidst threats of charges being brought in Europe against Barak and other Israeli officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Reactions

Strong international reactions were issued by national authorities, supranational bodies, non-governmental organizations, and religious leaders. Official responses varied from deep concern over the killings to strong condemnations of the Israeli action. The UN Security Council formally condemned "those acts which resulted in the loss of lives" and called for a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards. The UN Human Rights Council condemned Israel and decided to dispatch an independent international fact finding mission to investigate violations of international law. Unofficial responses included widespread civilian protests of the Israeli action, following reports of the deaths. There were also some rallies in support of Israel more generally. Turkish-Israeli relations have reached a low point after the incident, with Turkey pulling its Ambassador and vowing to review all ties with Israel. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Israel of "state terrorism," while distancing himself from anti-semitism. Several entertainers cancelled appearances in Israel.

Easing of Gaza blockade

Following the raid, the pressure on Israel to ease the blockade of the Gaza strip, which had been climbing steadily, increased dramatically, and the country faced mounting international calls to ease or lift its blockade. Among the steps expected to be enacted are drawing up a list of goods that are prohibited because of security concerns, rather than the current situation in which only goods on a permitted list are allowed in, and allowing dual use material into Gaza only for earmarked projects under the auspices of the UN, the Quartet or designated international organizations. On June 17, Israel's Prime Minister's Office announced that Israels security cabinet had agreed to relax Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, and issued an English-language press release, according to which a decision to ease the blockade had been made. The English text reads: "It was agreed to liberalize the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision." However, no binding decision has been made during the cabinet meeting, and an announcement issued in Hebrew did not mention any such decision. The Prime Minister's office said that a meeting would be held soon, and expressed hope that a binding decision will be taken then.

Israel's decision to ease the blockade received a cool response from the international community. Palestinians demanded that the blockade be lifted completely, and aid agencies condemned the decision as inadequate. Tony Blair, who welcomed the decision on behalf of the Quartet on the Middle East, said that the Quartet – the UN, US, EU, and Russia – would continue talks with Israel "to flesh out the principles". Suggesting that "items of ordinary daily life, including materials for the construction of homes, infrastructure and services as the UN have asked" should be allowed to enter Gaza, he stated that "the decision to allow foodstuffs and household items is a good start". A spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations declared that the Secretary-General would be encouraged that the Israeli government is reviewing its policy towards Gaza. He added that the United Nations would continue to seek a fundamental change in policy as agreed by the Quartet. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said that Israel's decision would have been designed to "beautify" the blockade and mislead public opinion.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said: "It is good that Israel is giving serious consideration to resolving these issues, ut further work is needed. We need to see the additional steps still to be announced." EU officials also said they were disappointed by the decision. German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Dirk Niebel said that the Israeli announcement was "not sufficient". During a visit to the country, Niebel intended to visit a sewage treatment plant being financed with German development aid, but was denied entry into the Gaza strip by Israel. He commented that the Israeli government sometimes would "not make it easy for its friends to explain why it behaves the way it does." A spokesperson for Israel's Foreign Ministry responded that Israel would have been obliged to allow any other European minister entry if it had allowed Niebel to visit the Gaza strip, thus conferring additional legitimacy to the Hamas government.

The Israeli government reiterated that Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza strip would continue, and Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned the Lebanese government about boats that will reportedly set sail for Gaza from Lebanon. An official in the Prime Minister's Office, who sought to downplay the impression that the change in policy was a result of intense pressure that has come to bear on Israel since the raid of the Gaza flotilla, said that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initiated a policy review of Gaza immediately after assuming office last year.

On June 20, 2010, Israel's Security Cabinet approved a new system governing the blockade that would allow practically all non-military items to enter the Gaza strip. According to a cabinet statement, Israel would "expand the transfer of construction materials designated for projects that have been approved by the Palestinian Authority, including schools, health institutions, water, sanitation and more – as well as (projects) that are under international supervision." Despite the easing of the land blockade, Israel will continue to inspect all goods bound for Gaza by sea at the port of Ashdod.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision enabled Israel to focus on real security issues and would eliminate "Hamas' main propaganda claim," and that it would strengthen the case for keeping the sea blockade in place. He also said the decision would have been coordinated with the United States and with Tony Blair, the representative of the Quartet for the Middle East. Blair characterized the decision as a "very significant step forward", but added that the decision needs to be implemented. In a statement, the Quartet said that the situation remained "unsustainable and unacceptable" and maintained that a long-term solution was urgently needed. The UNRWA called for a complete lift of the Gaza blockade, expressing concern that the new policy would continue to limit Gaza's ability to develop on its own. The European Union's representative for foreign policy, Catherine Ashton, welcomed the decision. She called the step "a significant improvement" and expressed the expectation that the measures take effect as soon as possible, adding that "more work remains to be done." The U.S. government welcomed the decision, expressing the belief that the easing would significantly improve the lives of Gaza Strip residents and prevent weapons smuggling. It expressed its intention to contribute to an international effort to "explore additional ways to improve the situation in Gaza, including greater freedom of movement and commerce between Gaza and the West Bank." Hamas dismissed the measures as trivial and "media propaganda", and demanded a complete lifting of the blockade, including the removal on all restrictions on the import of construction material. Israeli Arab member of Knesset Hanin Zoabi commented that the easing of the blockade would prove that "it is not a security blockade, but a political one," adding that the flotilla "succeeded in undermining the blockade's legitimacy."

The U.S., United Nations, European Union and Russia are jointly consulting with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt on additional measures, described by the United States Department of State as a "fundamental change in policy" toward the Gaza strip.

Investigations

Calls for independent investigation

Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, reiterated his demands for a United Nations investigation. He said: "We have no trust at all that Israel, a country that has carried out such an attack on a civilian convoy in international waters, will conduct an impartial investigation. To have a defendant acting simultaneously as both prosecutor and judge is not compatible with any principle of law."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on June 5 that the IDF raid of the Mavi Marmara should be investigated by a New Zealand-led committee, with Israeli and Turkish deputies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoped the Israeli-led process would put an end to efforts in the United Nations to set up an international inquiry, which many Israelis fear would be biased. In Israel and around the world, some said the committee lacked sufficient credibility and investigative powers. White House backed Israeli internal inquiry into Gaza flotilla deaths and said that the Israeli inquiry meets the standard of "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation". U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague, speaking in Luxembourg, stressed the need for "a truly independent inquiry and a thorough investigation that the international community can respect." Dan Meridor responsible for Israeli intelligence services, told Turkish newspaper that there "will be international elements in the commission which is going to be formed".

Israeli investigation

The Israeli government said it would accept a limited role by non-Israelis in the investigation of the raid, but rejected an independent international inquiry, and said the country is able to conduct a credible review on its own. An internal Israeli police investigation was halted by Israeli Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. A group of Israeli Navy reserve officers issued a letter backing the call for an independent investigation.

A commission of inquiry was approved by the Cabinet of Israel on 14 June. It has three Israeli members, and two foreign observers. The foreign observers will take part in hearings and discussions, but not vote on the final conclusions. The committee includes former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, Bar Ilan University Professor of International Law Shabtai Rosen, retired Israeli army major-general and Technion President Amos Horev, former First Minister of Northern Ireland David Trimble, and former head of the Canadian military's judiciary, Judge Advocate General Ken Watkin. According to reports published by the BBC and Der Spiegel, both observers are seen as friends of Israel. Trimble and Watkin would not able "to vote in relation to the proceedings and conclusions of the commission" and could also be denied access to documents or information if it was "almost certain to cause substantial harm to national security or to the state's foreign relations." The investigation can hold sessions behind closed doors if it decides. The inquiry will exclusively examine the legality of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and the flotilla raid.

Turkey and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Israeli investigation and said it would not meet demands set by the UN Security Council. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz described the investigation as more and more like a "farce" and criticised its credibility and fairness. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon repeated the demand for an independent investigation, stating that the Israeli investigation will not have international credibility.

Other investigations

Turkey's Istanbul Bakırköy prosecutor's office, assisted by the Ankara prosecutor's office, has opened a criminal investigation. Possible charges, against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, would include murder, injury, attacking Turkish citizens, and piracy. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department said, "We will look into the circumstances of the death of an American citizen, as we would do anywhere in the world at all times", noting that the FBI could get involved, "working with the host government", "if we think a crime has been committed".

The Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre published the results of their own investigation of the events and concluded based on laptop files and passenger testimony that a group of 40 "militant" activists boarded before the rest of the passengers, were not searched as they boarded, and that IHH President Bülent Yıldırım had briefed this group with a mission of keeping Israelis from taking control of the ship.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, has complained that Israel is validating its own account by selectively using the seized video and equipment from reporters on board. FPA also criticized Israel's use of captured material without permission. Journalist Paul McGeough told his consul-general "we were robbed of any electronic equipment that we had" and that "Fairfax will fight this .. I could be back in Israel within two weeks to contest this." Israeli public radio reported that authorities had banned the media from providing any information about the dead and wounded, and who was taken to hospital in Israel. The censorship order was later lifted.

Legal assessments

Many legal assessments regarding the raid were published subsequent to the event. International law experts (and non-lawyers) differed over the legality of the Israeli action.

Some considered Israel's actions to be legal under international law. Harvard Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz, Chicago Law School Professor Eric Posner, and Johns Hopkins international law Professor Ruth Wedgwood, said that the naval blockade and the boarding in international waters were in accord with long-standing international law, and comparable to other blockades in unrelated historical conflicts. Dershowitz and Posner also defend the specific use of force as legal.

Others argued that Israel's actions violated international law. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross said that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip was illegal. In the United States, the National Lawyers Guild's International Committee found Israel's actions "manifestly excessive" to the conditions of a lawful blockade; Richard Falk, professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University said that the "ships that were situated in the high seas where freedom of navigation exists, according to the law of the seas"; Anthony D'Amato, a professor of international law at Northwestern University School of Law, said the raid was illegal and that a legitimate blockade would have required a state of war between Israel and Hamas.

Both sides generally agreed that Israel was required to respond with only a proportional use of force in the face of violent resistance; whether the force used was proportional is disputed.

See also

• Lifeline 3 (2009), an overland aid convoy to Gaza through Egypt which resulted in a violent clash between activists and Egyptian police.

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75. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/01/israel-gaza-flotilla-sabotage-suspected
76. "Head to Head in the Heart of the Sea", Maariv, 28 May 2010, p. 4
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78. ^ AFP staff (27 May 2010). "Gaza aid fleet undeterred as Israel steps up warnings". France24. AFP. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
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81. ^ CNN staff (31 May 2010). "Q&A: Aid and Israel's Gaza blockade". CNN World. CNN. Retrieved 3 June 2010. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
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85. ^ Richard Spencer (2 June 2010). "Gaza flotilla attack: Turkish activists killed in raid 'wanted to be martyrs'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
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87. Foreign staff (1 June 2010). "4 Turks dead on aid ship". Business Day. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
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89. George Psyllides (30 May 2010). "Flotilla ready to set sail". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 3 Jun 2010.
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94. Clarification/Correction Regarding Audio Transmission Between Israeli Navy and Flotilla on 31 May 2010, Posted on 5 June 2010
    The full audio recording, IDF YouTube channel.
95. Yaakov Lappin (June 5, 2010). "Gaza flotilla: Go back to Auschwitz". JPost.com.
96. Free Gaza press release: IDF Admits It Doctored the Audio Tapes
97. Joshua Breiner, מיוחד – כתב וואלה! עם כוחות השייטת בלב ים (Special: Walla! Reporter With Navy Forces On The High Seas), Walla!, 1.6.2010.
    In Hebrew: על התדר הפתוח, יכלו כל ספינות המשט לשמוע את האזהרות. והן גם דאגו להחזיר. "תחזרו לאושוויץ", ענתה ספינה אחת, אחרת השיבה ב"ג'יהאד, ג'יהאד, ג'יהאד". המפגש האלים היה בלתי נמנע.
    Translation to English: On the open channel, all the flotilla ships could hear the warnings. They also took care to reply. "Go back to Auschwitz", answered one ship, and another responded, "Jihad, jihad, jihad". The violent clash was inevitable.
98. ^ Ron Ben-Yishai (20 June 1995). "A brutal ambush at sea – Israel News, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
99. "Interview with Jamal Elshayyal". Al Jazeera. June 3, 2010.
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101. YNetNews: Turkish doctor who treated soldiers says more humane
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105. Transcript of Nilüfer Oren Needs Turkish-English Translation
106. ^ Mackey, Robert (June 4, 2010). "Israelis Explain, and Mock, Flotilla Clash". New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
107. Siegel, Judy (June 1, 2010). "Red Cross visits wounded activists". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved June 4, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
108. Nahmias, Roee (June 9, 2010). "Egyptian lawmaker slammed for speaking of beaten troops". Israel News. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
109. "Activists' eyewitness accounts detail Israeli raid on Gaza aid ship". Hürriyet. June 3, 2010.
110. ^ IHH plans new flotilla for Gaza. Cite error: The named reference "IHH plans new flotilla for Gaza" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
111. "Eyewitness Kevin Ovenden from the Freedom Flotilla: 'I saw people shot'". Socialist Worker. June 3, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
112. "Israel killed more than 9, threw wounded into sea, witnesses say". Today's Zaman. June 3, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
113. Gaza Flotilla Leader Claims Self Defense, Myfox New York.
114. "We were kidnapped," Swedish author says of Gaza flotilla raid, Deutche Presse-Agentur, 3 June 2010.
115. Bitte Hammargren. "SvD: "Det var rena avrättningar"" (in Template:Sv icon). Svd.se. Retrieved June 4, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
116. "Aussie photographer Kate Geraghty 'Tasered during flotilla raid'". Herald Sun. June 2, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
117. ^ Rachel Shabi in Jerusalem. "Gaza flotilla activist faces death threats | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
118. "Aftonbladet: "Fasansfullt – blod överallt"". Aftonbladet.se. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
119. ^ "Passengers recount mid-sea horror". Al Jazeera. June 3, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
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121. "İsrail yaralılara müdaheleye izin vermedi!". Timeturk. June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
122. "Suddenly, sound bombs and tear gas exploded". The Age. June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
123. Bloody Israeli raid on flotilla sparks crisis
124. Soldiers thought we would kill them
125. YNetNews: Turkish doctor who treated soldiers says more humane
126. "Gaza flotilla attack: activist releases new footage". The Guardian. 2010-06-11. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
127. http://vimeo.com/12429821?hd=1
128. "Israeli commandos describe Gaza raid". Reuters. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
129. ^ Yaakov Katz (May 31, 2010). "Navy commandos:'They came for war'". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved June 2, 2010. {{cite news}}: More than one of |work= and |newspaper= specified (help)
130. "'We had no choice'" The Jerusalem Post. 4 June 2010.
131. "Casualties reported during IDF raid on Gaza sail". Ynetnews. May 31, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
132. "Israeli military gives version of flotilla incident". CNN.
133. "IDF chief: No connection between Gaza sail and peace efforts". Ynetnews.com. 31 May 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
134. ABC News staff (June 1, 2010). "Claim and counterclaim after deadly flotilla raid". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved June 1, 2010.
135. Israel: Activists on Gaza sail had weapons "Israel: Activists on Gaza sail had weapons". Ynetnews. May 31, 2010. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
136. ^ Harel, Amos (June 2, 2010). "Israel Navy: 3 commandos nearly taken hostage in Gaza flotilla raid". Israel News. Haaretz.com. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
137. "'20 people threw me from deck' – Israel News, Ynetnews". Ynetnews.com. May 31, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
138. Stelter, Brian. "After Raid, Videos Carry On the Fight". NYTimes.com. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
139. Madhani, Aamer (June 2, 2010). "Turkey maintains push for Israel sanctions". USA Today. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
140. ^ "IDF forces met with pre-planned violence when attempting to board flotilla". Israel ministry of foreign affairs. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
141. "Statement by PM Netanyahu Regarding Flotilla to Gaza" (Press release). Prime Minister's Office, Israel. June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
142. Steven Gutkin (May 31, 2010). "Bloody Israeli raid on flotilla sparks crisis". NewsTimes.com. Hearst Communications. Associated Press. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
143. Aviad Glickman,High Court rejects flotilla suits: Soldiers defended their lives, Ynet News , June 3, 2010.
144. ^ CNN Eyewitnesses recount Israel flotilla raid. CNN Wire Staff, June 1, 2010
145. ^ In their own words: Survivor testimonies from Flotilla 31 May 2010
146. 'We'll be Back – With Bigger Flotillas' (IPS, June 8, 2010)
147. ^ "Accounts, videos of flotilla assault continue to conflict". The Washington Post. ISSN 0740-5421. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
148. "Αποκλειστικά στο tvxs ντοκουμέντο από την επίθεση στη Σφενδόνη (Video document of the raid at Sfendoni ship)". tvxs.gr. Retrieved June 6, 2010. Direct link to the video. (Greek)
149. ^ Parks, Richard (June 2, 2010). "El Cerrito Man Beaten, Jailed in Israel, Wife Says". The Bay Citizen. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
150. ^ Berton, Justin (June 2, 2010). "4 local pro-Palestine activists reported safe". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
151. ^ Connolly, Kate (June 3, 2010). "Henning Mankell on Gaza flotilla attack: 'I think they went out to murder'". The Guardian. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
152. ^ Needham, Kirsty (June 3, 2010). "I was 'Tasered' by Israelis, says Herald photographer". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 2, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
153. "ישראל: בידי הפעילים במשט לעזה היה נשק (Israel: the activists on flotilla to Gaza had weapons at hand)", Ynet (Hebrew), 31 May 2010
154. "Photos of the Mavi Marmara's Equipment and Weapons". Israel Defense Force Spokesperson. June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
155. JPost.com staff (2 June 2010). "'Activists threw stun grenades': New IDF footage shows attacks before soldiers boarded 'Mavi Marmara'". Jerusalem Post.
156. Yaakov Katz (June 1, 2010). "IDF: Global Jihad on flotilla". The Jerusalem Post.
157. "LIVE: Israeli raid on Gaza flotilla". BBC. May 31, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
158. Emre Soncan, Muzaffer Salcioğlu, Cihan Yenilmez (May 31, 2010). "Customs officials deny Israeli claims weapons were onboard". Today's Zaman.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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160. Geir Arne Kippernes (June 1, 2010). "-Dette er ikke militært utstyr (That is not military equipment)" (in Template:No icon). Verdens Gang. Retrieved June 2, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
161. Report: Soldiers were kidnapped and released at the battle over Marmara, Walla!, 4.6.2010. Last retrieved on 12:53 IST. Relevant parts in Hebrew: קצין בחיל אמר הבוקר ל"קול ישראל", כי ישנן עדויות לכך, שנוסעי הספינה "מרמרה" השליכו כלי נשק לים וכי על הספינה נמצאו כוונת של רובה ותרמילי כדורים, שאינם תואמים כלי נשק של צה"ל (This morning, an army officer told Kol Israel, 'There is evidence that the Marmara passengers threw weapons into the sea, and that found on the ship were gun sights and bullet casings that did not match IDF weapons.') and "חיל הים שב ומדגיש כי בפעולה לא נהרגו פעילי שלום וכי כל ההרוגים היו מחבלים. היתה כאן קבוצה של שכירי חרב שהתקיפה כדי להרוג והלוחמים עשו את מה שהיו צריכים לעשות". (The Navy feels that no peace activists were killed, and that all of those killed were terrorists. Here was a group of mercenaries who attacked in order to kill, and soldiers who did what they had to.)
162. Amos Harel, Israel Navy: 3 commandos nearly taken hostage in Gaza flotilla raid, Haaretz, 4.6.2010.
     "The soldiers reported that the activists had fired on them during the confrontation and that at least two commandos suffered gunshot wounds. After the incident, 9 mm bullet casings were found – a kind not used by the naval commandos."
163. Lilach Shoval, "מצאנו על הספינה תרמילים מנשק זר", Israel Hayom, 4.6.2010. (Hebrew)
164. "Activists 'threw Israeli guns into sea'". Irish Times. June 3, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010. With material from Reuters.
165. "Raphael Schutz: «El Ejército pecó de ingenuo al creer que encontraría pacifistas»", El Periódico de Catalunya, June 4, 2010. Template:Es icon (The Army was guilty of naiveté in believing it would find pacifists)
166. We won't apologize for flotilla raid
167. Israel says activists prepared for fight on ship
168. VIDEO / IHH leader tells Gaza flotilla activists to 'throw IDF soldiers into the sea'
169. http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=178172
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171. Kyzer, Liel (May 31, 2010). "Israel detains dozens of Gaza flotilla activists upon arrival in Ashdod". Haaretz Daily. Retrieved May 31, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
172. "'Wallander' author tells of ordeal on Gaza convoy". The Independent. June 4, 2010.
173. "Martin: Irish citizens 'kidnapped' in international waters". Irish Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. May 31, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
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189. Israel ready to board Gaza bound ship, Times Online, June 5, 2010.
190. The ships were towed to the port of Ashdod http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10253357.stm
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215. Israeli government office links to video mocking flotilla, CNN.
216. Barak cancels Paris trip over flotilla, by JPost Staff and Associated Press, The Jerusalem Post, 13-06-2010
217. Reuters: Thousands protest flotilla deaths, clashes in Athens(mention of Sweedish protests at the end)
218. "U.N. Security Council Condemns 'Acts' in Israeli Raid". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
219. "U.N. condemns Israeli flotilla raid; calls for investigation". usatoday.com. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
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222. http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/64C49CB9EFCA5BAB852577360055ADE6 Human rights council decides to dispatch independent fact finding mission to investigate Israeli attack on humanitarian boat convoy
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237. ^ Gaouette, Nicole (June 21, 2010). "U.S., Partners Seek 'Fundamental' Gaza Policy Change (Update2)". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
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243. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/14/israel-gaza-flotilla-raid-inquiry
244. ^ Jerusalem Post: Ankara doesn't 'trust' Israel probe
245. Los Angeles Times: Israel announces creation of Gaza flotilla inquiry committee
246. White House backs Israeli internal inquiry into Gaza flotilla deaths
247. San Francisco Chronicle: Israeli Cabinet Approves Public Probe of Gaza Flotilla Raid
248. Gaza inquiry will have international input: Israel
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251. Jeffrey Heller (June 6, 2010). "Israel rejects international inquiry into lethal raid". Reuters. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
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278. "Was the Gaza Flotilla Raid Illegal?". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved June 2, 2010.

References with quoted text or translations

1. Schult, Christoph; Steinvorth, Daniel (June 16, 2010). "Chip im Slip". Der Spiegel. Retrieved June 16, 2010. Regierungen in aller Welt forderten Israel auf, den Vorfall durch internationale Ermittler klären zu lassen, doch Premier Benjamin Netanjahu wollte davon nichts wissen – und hat nun eine interne Kommission eingesetzt. (Governments all over the world have urged Israel to have international investigators examine the incident, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not want to hear about this – and has installed an internal commission.)
2. "Israel asalta la legalidad internacional". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved June 1, 2010. Al menos una parte de la versión del Ministerio de Defensa israelí resulta poco creíble: en las otras naves, donde supuestamente nadie opuso resistencia, también hubo heridos, como pudo comprobar este periódico hablando brevemente con algunos de ellos mientras eran ingresados en camilla en un hospital de Ashkelon. (At least one piece of the account from the Israeli Ministry of Defence is scarcely believable: in the other ships, where nobody apparently offered any physical resistance, there were also some wounded people, as this newspaper was able to verify by briefly talking to some of the passengers when they were being admitted on stretchers to a hospital in Ashkelon.)
3. Damolin, Mario (June 5, 2010). "Wer nicht weicht, wird aus dem Weg geräumt (Who does not move out of the way is thrust aside)". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved June 6, 2010. Mit gezogenen Waffen gehen sie auf unbewaffnete Zivilisten zu. Wer nicht weicht, wie etwa der große, gemütliche Michalis, ein 65 Jahre alter Kleinunternehmer, wird auf kürzeste Distanz aus dem Weg geräumt. Michalis fällt wie vom Blitz getroffen neben mir um, als ihn Soldat Nr. 14 – alle haben Nummern – aus zehn Zentimetern Entfernung mit der Elektroschock-Pistole anschießt. (With their weapons drawn they approach unarmed civilians. Who does not move out of the way, like e.g. big, jovial Michalis, a 65-year old small-time entrepreneur, is thrust aside within very close distance. Michalis drops to the ground as if struck by lightning as soldier no. 14 – all of them bear numbers – tasers him from a distance of 10 centimeter.)
4. Rößler, Hans-Christian (June 5, 2010). "Holzstöcke zu Eisenstangen (Wooden staves to iron bars)". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved June 5, 2010. Als Anschauungsmaterial für die Gewaltbereitschaft der Aktivisten verbreitete die Armee später Bilder von Holz- und Eisenstangen, Steinschleudern, Murmeln, aber auch Schraubenschlüsseln und einer Reihe von Messern, wie sie in jedem größeren Haushalt zu finden sind. (As evidence of the activists' readiness for violence, the army later published images of wooden staves and iron bars, slingshots, marbles, and also of screwdrivers and a set of knives, such as can be found in any larger household.)
5. Stöcker, Christian (June 5, 2010). "Gaza-Hilfsflotte: Propaganda-Satire blamiert Israels Regierung (Gaza Aid Flotilla: Propaganda Satire embarrasses Israeli Government)". Der Spiegel. Retrieved June 8, 2010. Das "Center for Security Policy" (CSP) ist eine erzkonservative Organisation (The "Center for Security Policy" (CSP) is a staunchly conservative organisation)
6. Wurzel, Steffen (June 1, 2010). "Ab heute ist nichts mehr, wie es war (From today on, nothing is anymore as it used to be)". Tagesschau. Retrieved June 4, 2010. Die türkisch-israelischen Beziehungen sind nach der Militäraktion Israels auf dem Tiefpunkt. "Staatsterrorismus" warf der türkische Ministerpräsident Erdogan Israel vor und sagte in einer Rede vor Parteifreunden voraus: "Ab heute ist nichts mehr wie es war." Von antisemitischen Tönen distanzierte er sich klar. (After Israel's military action, the Turkish-Israeli relations have reached a low. Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan accused Israel of "state terrorism" and gave as forecast in a speech to party members: "From today on, nothing is anymore as it used to be." He clearly distanced himself though from antisemitical tones.)
7. "Israel verweigert Niebel Einreise in Gazastreifen". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. June 20, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010. "Wenn wir Niebel die Einreise erlaubt hätten, müssten wie sie auch jedem anderen europäischen Minister gestatten. Das würde der Hamas-Regierung zusätzliche Legitimität verschaffen", sagte der Sprecher des israelischen Außenministeriums der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung. ("Had we allowed Niebel to enter, we would be under an obligation to allow any other European minister entry. This would confer additional legitimacy to the Hamas government," a spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry told the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung.)

External links

• "Q&A: The Gaza Freedom flotilla" – The Guardian

Israeli response

• Communique from IDF Spokesperson with links to IDF videos, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 31.5.2010
• IDF's YouTube channel's section of the Gaza flotilla raid – videos from IDF footage and ship's security cameras, YouTube

Activist response

• Free Gaza website
• WitnessGaza Flotilla weblog
• "Independent journalists dismantling Israel's hold on media narrative", Abraham Greenhouse, Nora Barrows-Friedman, The Electronic Intifada, 15 June 2010

• Gaza
• Greece–Israel relations
• International maritime incidents
• Israel–Turkey relations
• Israel – United States relations
• Operations involving Israeli special forces
• Conflicts in 2010
• Political activism
• Israeli Security Forces
• Gaza flotilla June 2010
• Cross-border operations