Breaking News! Breaking News! 19 Activists were
murdered by IOF on the Freedom Flotilla
Editor: Murder and Piracy on the High Seas
Anyone still supporting Israel, are themselves criminals, aidingand abbeting a criminal apartheid regime. From now on, the war against the Israeli war criminals will not stop, until they will face their justice in international courts. Any Israelis who are not openly against their governemnt, are by definition supporting it, and should face boycott, divestment and sanctions. Even before this terrible murder of innocent civilian activists, the international community has started the anti-apartheid canmpaign, which has intensified after the Gaza massacre. This latest crime will only help to clarify that the fascist Israeli government must be faced off by the whole international community, and brought to justice.
The news about this murder is still patchy, due to the total control Israeli Occupation Army forces have enforced on the ships. All activists are under illegal arrest, another crime Israel will have to pay for. The beginning of the end of Zionism is here, in those ruthless, mindless crimes, and those usual apologists for Israeli crimes will no longer be listened to, I am sure. No doubt the BBC, CNN and other news channels under the spell of Israeli propaganda will continue to spout lies, but they will confuse no one. The countdown has started on the apartheid regime!
On all channels Israeli spokesperson are now claiming that they were attacked by the convoy… who will believe them? Do not bother reading listening to the BBC, apart from reacting to their pro-Israeli bias on all reports. The same can be said about ALL US channels. Al Jazeera is the only channel worth listrening to, if you wish to hear an objective and well informed reports.
Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship: BBC
Page last updated at 10:06 GMT, Monday, 31 May 2010 11:06 UK
E-mail this to a friendPrintable version
Turkish TV footage appeared to show Israeli troops on board
More than 10 people have been killed after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army says.
Armed forces boarded the largest vessel overnight, clashing with some of the 500 people on board.
It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters.
Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with weapons; the activists say Israeli troops came on board shooting.
The European Union has called for an inquiry to establish what happened.
‘Guns and knives’
The six-ship flotilla, carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid, left the coast of Cyprus on Sunday and had been due to arrive in Gaza on Monday.
Israel says its soldiers boarded the lead ship in the early hours but were attacked with axes, knives, bars and at least two guns.
“Unfortunately this group were dead-set on confrontation,” Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC.
“Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that’s 100% clear,” he said.
Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.
A leader of Israel’s Islamic Movement, Raed Salah, who was on board, was among those hurt.
Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement, which is behind the convoy, told the BBC Israel’s actions were disproportionate.
“We were not going 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.”
She said there was “absolutely no evidence of live fire”.
Israel is towing the boats to the port of Ashdod and says it will deport the passengers from there. It says it will deliver the ships’ aid to Gaza.
Condemnation
Turkish TV pictures taken on board the Turkish ship leading the flotilla appeared to show Israeli soldiers fighting to control passengers.
Consists of three cargo ships and three passenger ships
Casualties reported on the Mavi Marmara passenger ferry
Mavi Marmara is one of three ships provided by Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a Turkish aid organisation with links to the Turkish government
Other ships are organised by the Free Gaza Movement, an international coalition of activist groups
Up to 600 mostly Turkish passengers, tonnes of cement and at least two journalists on board the Mavi Marmara
The footage showed a number of people, apparently injured, lying on the ground. A woman was seen holding a blood-stained stretcher.
Al-Jazeera TV reported from the same ship that Israeli navy forces had opened fire and boarded the vessel, wounding the captain.
The Al-Jazeera broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, saying: “Everybody shut up!”
Israel’s deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said his country “regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome”.
He accused the convoy of a “premeditated and outrageous provocation”, describing the flotilla as an “armada of hate”.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s actions, saying it had committed a massacre.
Most of the people on board the boats were Turkish.
Turkey accused Israel of “targeting innocent civilians”.
“We strongly denounce Israel’s inhumane interception,” it said, warning of “irreparable consequences” to the two countries’ relations.
Danny Ayalon, Israeli deputy foreign minister: “The organisers’ intent was violent.”
Turkey was Israel’s closest Muslim ally but relations have deteriorated over the past few years.
In Turkey, thousands of protesters demonstrated against Israel in Istanbul, while several countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors to seek an explanation as to what happened.
Greece has withdrawn from joint military exercises with Israel in protest at the raid on the flotilla.
Blockade
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a “provocation intended to delegitimise Israel”.
Israel and Egypt tightened a blockade of Gaza after the Islamist movement Hamas took power there in 2007.
Israel says it allows about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week.
But the United Nations says this is less than a quarter of what is needed.
The incident comes a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington after one of the most strained periods in US-Israeli relations in years.
Do you know someone aboard these ships? What is your reaction to this story? Send us your comments, pictures and videos.
L’évolution des événements minute par minute: Le Mond
31.05.10
Inverser l’ordre de tri
13:07 – L’ambassadeur israélien à Paris convoqué au Quai d’Orsay
L’ambassadeur d’Israël en France, Daniel Shek, va être convoqué lundi après-midi au ministère des affaires étrangères, qui veut des explications sur le raid meurtrier israélien contre une flottille internationale en route vers Gaza, a annoncé un porte-parole du Quai d’Orsay.
12:56 – Le président du Parlement européen veut la levée du blocus de Gaza
Le président du Parlement européen, Jerzy Buzek, a dénoncé “invite la haute représentante de l’UE pour les affaires étrangères, Catherine Ashton, à prendre des mesures au sein du Quartette pour forcer Israël à lever le siège qui frappe la population de Gaza immédiatement et sans condition”. Catherine Ashton a déjà demandé une “enquête complète” des autorités israéliennes sur les circonstances de la prise d’assaut de la flottille, et réclamé une ouverture “immédiate” et “sans conditions” de Gaza.
12:45 – Le PS demande une réunion immédiate du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU
Le Parti socialiste a demandé une “réunion immédiate” du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU. Lors d’un point-presse, Benoît Hamon, porte-parole socialiste, a exprimé “l’émotion du PS et sa condamnation à l’action inacceptable et très choquante d’Israël contre la flottille humanitaire”.
“Nous sommes confrontés à une crise internationale”, a dit M. Hamon qui a demandé “des réponses sous la forme d’une réunion immédiate du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies : d’abord pour éviter l’embrasement” et “faire baisser la tension”, et “ensuite pour espérer que les Etats-Unis, cette fois-ci, s’associent à une condamnation solennelle de l’opération” qui “oblige le gouvernement israélien à bouger”.
12:42 – La Turquie annule un exercice militaire conjoint avec Israël
La Turquie a rappelé son ambassadeur en Israël, a annoncé le vice-premier ministre turc, Bulent Arinc.
M. Arinc a annoncé aussi que des préparatifs pour des manoeuvres militaires conjointes avec Israël avaient été annulés. Il a confirmé que la Turquie avait démandé une réunion d’urgence du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU.
12:24 – Sarkozy : “Toute la lumière doit être faite sur cette tragédie”
Nicolas Sarkozy a exprimé sa profonde émotion et demandé une enquête après l’assaut meurtrier des forces israéliennes contre une flottille humanitaire qui cherchait à atteindre Gaza. “Le président de la République exprime sa profonde émotion devant les conséquences tragiques de l’opération militaire israélienne (…). Il condamne l’usage disproportionné de la force et adresse ses condoléances aux familles des victimes”, lit-on dans un communiqué. “Toute la lumière doit être faite sur les circonstances de cette tragédie, qui souligne l’urgence d’une relance du processus de paix”, ajoute-t-il.
12:15 – Sept Français à bord de la flottille, selon “Le Parisien”
Selon les informations du Parisien, “une délégation de sept Français représentant trois associations est à bord de la flottille”. “Les responsables de la Campagne Civile Internationale pour la Protection du Peuple Palestinien ont indiqué qu’ils n’avaient plus de nouvelles de leurs ‘camarades depuis 3 heures cette nuit’, ‘peu de temps avant le raid de l’armée’.”
12:10 – Une action “inacceptable” pour la Norvège
La Norvège juge “inacceptable” l’assaut de l’armée israélienne, déclare le premier ministre Jens Stoltenberg. Il a ajouté que l’ambassadeur israélien à Oslo a été convoqué. “Le gouvernement norvégien est ébranlé par les informations selon lesquelles l’armée israélienne a donné l’assaut à des bateaux transportant de l’aide humanitaire civile”, a dit M. Stoltenberg. La flottille comptait trois Norvégiens dont le sort n’est pas encore connu, a-t-il précisé. Le chef du gouvernement norvégien a réclamé “une enquête internationale indépendante immédiate”. “Cela renforce aussi le point de vue norvégien selon lequel le blocus de Gaza doit être levé”, a-t-il ajouté.
12:06 – Rome rectifie sa position sur l’assaut israélien
Le ministre des affaires étrangères italien, Franco Frattini, a “déploré le meurtre de civils” dans l’assaut militaire israélien. Auparavant, le sous-secrétaire d’Etat aux affaires étrangères Alfredo Mantica avait estimé que la tentative de la flottille pro-palestinienne de rompre l’embargo israélien sur Gaza était de “la pure provocation”.
12:00 – Les Israéliens invités à éviter la Turquie
Le bureau israélien de lutte contre le terrorisme, qui dépend des services du premier ministre, appelle les Israéliens à reporter leurs projets de visite en Turquie de crainte de manifestations hostiles après l’assaut contre la flottille pour Gaza.
11:57 – Une ONG grecque dénonce des tirs à balles réelles
Un bateau grec de la flottille pro-palestinienne en route vers Gaza, le Sfendoni, a essuyé des tirs à “balles réelles” dans la nuit à partir d’hélicoptères et de canots gonflables israéliens, affirmée une ONG grecque engagée dans la flottille.
11:54 – Manifestations à Istanbul et Ankara
Plusieurs milliers de personnes ont manifesté lundi sur la principale place d’Istanbul pour protester contre le raid israélien. “Mort à Israël !”, “Soldats turcs, partez pour Gaza !”, ont scandé les manifestants rassemblés en fin de matinée sur la place Taksim, au coeur de la plus grande ville turque.
De nombreux autres manifestants arrivaient sur la place, où d’importants effectifs de police étaient déployés. Environ 400 manifestants avaient plus tôt dans la matinée scandé des slogans hostiles à Israël devant le consulat israélien, dans le quartier de Levent. Quelques manifestants avaient jeté des bouteilles en plastique en direction du bâtiment, avant d’être repoussés par la police. A Ankara, un peu moins de 200 personnes sont venues manifester devant la résidence de l’ambassadeur d’Israël, protégé par des forces de police. Les manifestants ont organisé une prière devant le domicile de l’ambassadeur.
11:54 – Le bilan de l’assaut revu à la hausse : 19 morts, 26 blessés
Dix-neuf passagers ont été tués et 26 autres blessés lors de l’assaut des commandos israéliens contre la flottille humanitaire, affirme la chaîne 10 de la télévision israélienne.
11:46 – José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero condamne l’intervention israélienne
Le chef du gouvernement socialiste, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, a qualifié les événements qui ont causé la mort de plus de dix passagers de la flottille de “faits graves et préoccupants”. L’ambassadeur d’Israël à Madrid “a été convoqué” pour qu’on lui demande des explications. Cet assaut est “absolument condamnable”, a jugé pour sa part le secrétaire d’Etat aux Affaires européennes, Diego Lopez Garrido.
11:45 – Inquiétude pour une délégation algérienne
Le Mouvement algérien de la société de la paix (MSP) indique qu’il est “sans nouvelles” d’une délégation algérienne de 32 membres faisant partie de la flotille prise d’assaut, “comprenant des députés, des journalistes et des médecins”.
11:40 – Le Danemark convoque l’ambassadeur israélien
La ministre des affaires étrangères danoise, Lene Espersen, convoque l’ambassadeur d’Israël à Copenhague pour entendre ses explications sur l’assaut.
At least 10 activists killed in Israel Navy clashes onboard Gaza aid flotilla: Haaretz
IDF says 10 killed, 2 commandos wounded as troops tried to board; ships towed to Ashdod port.
Confrontation took place in international waters
IDF: Passengers attacked lone commando with iron bars, opened fire
Flotilla had reportedly changed course to avoid confrontation
Israel Navy troops opened fire on pro-Palestinian activists aboard a six-ship flotilla carrying aid destined for the Gaza Strip before dawn Monday, killing at least 10 people and wounding several others, after the convoy ignored orders to turn back. The Navy later towed the ships to Ashdod port.
The Israel Defense Forces said 10 activists were killed after its troops came under fire while intercepting the convoy. Unofficial reports put the death toll at between 14 and 20.
“Our initial findings show that at least 10 convoy participants were killed,” an army spokesman said.
The military said in a statement: “Navy fighters took control of six ships that tried to violate the naval blockade (of the Gaza Strip) … During the takeover, the soldiers encountered serious physical violence by the protesters, who attacked them with live fire.”
Turkey’s NTV said over 60 were also wounded after IDF vessels stormed the flotilla in international waters.
The IDF earlier confirmed that two navy commandos had been wounded in fight, which apparently broke out after activists tried to seize their weapons.
According to the IDF, commandos who stormed the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, the largest vessel in the convoy, encountered violent resistance from activists armed with sticks and knives.
Activists attacked a commando with iron bars as he descended onto the ship from a helicopter, the army said. The IDF said its rules of engagement allowed troops to open fire in what it called a “life-threatening situation”.
Elite troops from Shayetet 13, a naval commando unit, boarded the protest boats at around 4:00 A.M. Earlier Monday, Al Jazeera reported that the Gaza aid flotilla had changed course to avoid a confrontation with Israeli warships.
The Israeli naval vessels reportedly made contact earlier with the six-ship flotilla, which is carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza.
Some 700 pro-Palestinian activists are on the boats, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and an elderly Holocaust survivor.
The Israeli navy was operating under the assumption that the activists manning the boats would not heed their calls to turn around, and Israeli troops were prepared to board the ships and steer them away from the Gaza shores and toward the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
Huwaida Arraf, one of the flotilla organizers, said the six-ship flotilla began the journey from international waters off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday afternoon after two days of delays. According to organizers, the flotilla was expected to reach Gaza, about 400 kilometers away, on Monday afternoon, and two more ships would follow in a second wave.
The flotilla was fully prepared for the different scenarios that might arise, and organizers were hopeful that Israeli authorities would do what’s right and not stop the convoy, one of the organizers said.
“We fully intend to go to Gaza regardless of any intimidation or threats of violence against us,” Arraf said. “They are going to have to forcefully stop us.”
After nightfall, three Israeli navy missile boats left their base in Haifa, heading out to sea to confront the activists’ ships.
Two hours later, Israel Radio broadcast a recording of one of the missile boats warning the flotilla not to approach Gaza.
“If you ignore this order and enter the blockaded area, the Israeli navy will be forced to take all the necessary measures in order to enforce this blockade,” the radio message continued.
The flotilla, which includes three cargo ships and three passenger ships, is trying to draw attention to Israel’s three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. The boats are carrying items that Israel bars from reaching Gaza, like cement and other building materials.
The activists said they also were carrying hundreds of electric-powered wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and water purifiers.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that after a security check, permitted humanitarian aid confiscated from the boats will be transferred to Gaza through authorized channels. However, Israel would not transfer items it has banned from Gaza under its blockade rules. Palmor said that for example, cement would be allowed only if it is tied to a specific project.
This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza movement has tried to ship in humanitarian aid to Gaza since August 2008.
Israel has let ships through five times, but has blocked them from entering Gaza waters since the three-week military offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers in January 2009. The flotilla bound for Gaza is the largest to date.
The mission has experienced repeated delays, both due to mechanical problems and a decision by Cyprus to bar any boat from sailing from its shore to Gaza. The ban forced a group of European lawmakers to depart from the breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern part of the island late Saturday.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on Gaza after Hamas militants violently seized control of the seaside territory in June 2007.
Israel says the measures are needed to prevent Hamas, which has fired thousands of rockets at Israel, from building up its arsenal. But United Nations officials and international aid groups say the blockade has been counterproductive, failing to weaken the Islamic militant group while devastating the local economy.
Israel rejects claims of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying it allows more than enough food and medicine into the territory. The Israelis also point to the bustling smuggling industry along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, which has managed to bring consumer goods, gasoline and livestock into the seaside strip.
Israel has condemned the flotilla as a provocation and vowed to block it from reaching Gaza.
Israeli military officials said they hoped to resolve the situation peacefully but are prepared for all scenarios. Naval commandos have been training for days in anticipation of the standoff. Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity under official guidelines, said the forces would likely take over the boats under the cover of darkness.
Palmor said foreigners on the ships would be sent back to their countries. Activists who did not willingly agree to be deported would be detained. A special detention facility had been set up in Ashdod.
Reaction to Gaza aid ship deaths: BBC
Page last updated at 9:27 GMT, Monday, 31 May 2010 10:27 UK
E-mail this to a friendPrintable version Angry demonstrations quickly flared at the Israeli consulate in Istanbul
A number of people have been killed as Israeli forces intercepted a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
A Turkish vessel leading the flotilla was among those raided. There has been strong international reaction to the incident.
DANIEL AYALON, ISRAELI DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER
The armada of hate and violence in support of [the] Hamas terror organisation was a premeditated and outrageous provocation. The organisers are well known for their ties with global jihad, al-Qaeda and Hamas. They have a history of arms smuggling and deadly terror.
On board the ship, we found weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces. The organisers intent was violent, their method was violent and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome.
TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY
We strongly condemn these inhumane practices of Israel. This deplorable incident, which took place in open seas and constitutes a fragrant breach of international law, may lead to irreparable consequences in our bilateral relations.
GRETA BERLIN, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT SPOKESWOMAN
It’s disgusting that they have come on board and attacked civilians. We are civilians.
How could the Israeli military attack civilians like this? Do they think that because they can attack Palestinians indiscriminately they can attack anyone?
SAEB EREKAT, CHIEF PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATOR
What we have seen this morning is a war crime. These were civilian ships carrying civilians and civilian goods – medicine, wheelchairs, food, construction materials – intended for the 1.5 million Palestinians holed up under a cruel and criminal siege by Israel. And for that, many have paid with their lives. What Israel does in Gaza is appalling; no informed and decent human can say otherwise.
The unarmed civilian activists were attacked on foreign vessels while sailing in international waters. This is another incident confirming that Israel acts as a state above the law. The international community must take swift and appropriate action.
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER’S SPOKESMAN
Though our naval servicemen were instructed to exercise maximum restraint, they were attacked. They were attacked with knives, with iron clubs, and also with live fire.
We have unfortunately 10 servicemen injured, one of them very, very seriously. The violence was initiated unfortunately by these activists, and this is regrettable.
SAMI ABU ZUHRI, HAMAS SPOKESMAN
We in Hamas consider the Israeli attack on the freedom flotilla as a great crime and a huge violation of international law. In spite of the great harm suffered by the people who joined this flotilla, we consider that their message has been delivered.
Thanks to these heroes from other countries who showed their solidarity with Gaza, the Israeli siege is now an international issue and we consider that the occupiers, through this crime, are the ones under siege now.
OFFICE OF BARONESS ASHTON, EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
High Representative Catherine Ashton expresses her deep regret at the news of loss of life and violence and extends her sympathies to families of the dead and wounded. On behalf of the European Union, she demands a full enquiry about the circumstances in which this happened.
She reiterates the European Union’s position regarding Gaza – the continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive… She calls for an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of the crossing for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.
AMR MOUSSA, ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Arab League’s Secretary-General has called for an urgent meeting at the level of representatives to look into this heinous crime committed by Israeli forces against unarmed civilians that left scores of dead and wounded.
The Arab League strongly condemns this terrorist act.
SENIOR UN OFFICIALS ROBERT SERRY AND FILIPPO GRANDI
We are shocked by reports of killings and injuries of people on board boats carrying supplies for Gaza, apparently in international waters. We condemn the violence and call for it to stop. The situation is still ongoing and we are awaiting confirmation of what has happened.
We wish to make clear that such tragedies are entirely avoidable if Israel heeds the repeated calls of the international community to end its counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza.
NAVI PILLAY, UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
To foster longer-term political reconciliation, I urge the government to ensure that an independent investigation of recent events be conducted and all those found responsible for human rights violation are held to account.
BERNARD KOUCHNER, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER
I am profoundly shocked by the tragic consequences of the Israeli military operation against the peace flotilla for Gaza. Nothing can justify the use of violence such as this, which we condemn.
The circumstances of this drama must be fully brought to light and we wish for a thorough inquiry to be put in place without delay.
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT
The inhuman action of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and preventing the humanitarian aid from reaching Gazans does not show this regime’s strength, but is a sign of its weakness, and all this brings this sinister and fake regime closer than ever to its end.
’10 killed’ on Gaza aid flotilla: The Independent
Monday, 31 May 2010
Israeli commandos today stormed six ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid mission to the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more.
A reporter on one of the boats said the Israelis fired at the vessel before boarding it, but the Israelis claimed they only opened fire after being attacked by activists with sticks, knives and live fire.
The activists were headed to Gaza on a mission designed to draw attention to a three-year-old Israeli blockade of the coastal territory. Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas militants took power there.
“It’s disgusting that they have come on board and attacked civilians. We are civilians,” said Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Free Gaza movement, which organised the flotilla.
Speaking from the east Mediterranean island of Cyprus, she said she had lost contact with the flotilla in the early hours.
Israel had declared it would not allow the ships to reach Gaza and had offered to transfer the aid to Gaza from an Israeli port. Israeli naval commandos raided the ships while they were in international waters after ordering them to stop about 80 miles from Gaza’s coast, according to a pro-Palestinian activist in Greece involved in the aid mission.
A Turkish website showed video of pandemonium on board one of the ships, with activists in orange life jackets running around as some tried to help an activist apparently unconscious on the deck. The site also showed video of an Israeli helicopter flying overhead and Israeli warships nearby.
Turkey’s NTV showed activists beating one Israeli soldier with sticks as he rappelled from a helicopter onto one of the boats.
The al-Jazeera satellite channel reported from the Turkish ship leading the flotilla that Israeli navy forces fired at the ship and boarded it, wounding the captain.
The Israeli military said troops only opened fire after encountering unexpected resistance from the activists. Activists attacked troops with knives and iron rods, and one activist wrested a serviceman’s weapon.
A total of four soldiers were wounded, including at least one hit by live fire, the army said. Two of the dead activists had fired at soldiers with pistols, the army said.
“They planned this attack,” said Israeli military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovitch. “Our soldiers were injured from these knives and sharp metal objects … as well as from live fire.”
The ships were being towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod, and the wounded were evacuated by helicopter to Israeli hospitals, officials said.
There were no details on the identities of the casualties, or on the conditions of some of the more prominent people on board, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85.
The Free Gaza Movement is an international group of pro-Palestinian activists that claims the blockade, imposed three years ago after the militant Islamic Hamas group overran Gaza, is unjust and a violation of international law.
Organisers included people affiliated with the International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group that often sends international activists into battle zones, and the IHH, a Turkish aid group that Israel accuses of having terrorist links.
News of the attack sparked violent protests in Turkey, which had unofficially supported the aid mission and has been vocally critical of Israeli military operations against Palestinians in Gaza.
Police blocked dozens of stone-throwing protesters who tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli raid and said it was summoning the Israeli ambassador for an “urgent explanation”. It says Israel violated international law and will suffer consequences.
The flotilla of three cargo ships and three passenger ships carrying 10,000 tons of aid and 700 activists was carrying items that Israel bars from reaching Gaza, like cement and other building materials. The activists said they also were carrying hundreds of electric-powered wheelchairs, prefabricated homes and water purifiers to the territory’s 1.5 million residents.
“We did not want to see confrontation,” said Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in Canada.
“We made repeated offers to the boats that they come to the (Israeli) port of Ashdod unload the humanitarian cargo, and we guaranteed to pass all humanitarian items through the crossings to the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, they rejected our offers and chose the path of confrontation.”
The head of the Gaza Hamas government, Ismail Haniyeh, condemned the “brutal” Israeli attack.
“We call on the secretary-general of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, to shoulder his responsibilities to protect the safety of the solidarity groups who were on board these ships and to secure their way to Gaza,” Haniyeh said.
The flotilla began the journey from international waters off the coast of Cyprus on yesterday afternoon after two days of delays.
After nightfall, three Israeli navy missile boats left their base in Haifa, steaming out to sea to confront the ships. Two hours later, Israel Radio broadcast a recording of one of the missile boats warning the flotilla not to approach Gaza.
“If you ignore this order and enter the blockaded area, the Israeli navy will be forced to take all the necessary measures in order to enforce this blockade,” the radio message continued.
This is the ninth time that the Free Gaza movement has tried to ship in humanitarian aid to Gaza since August 2008.
EDITOR: The Murderer Speaks
The words and deeds of Ehud Barak, chief Israeli murderer of the IOF, lies as international fury rages across the globe. He will face the ICC like Milosevic before him, and justice will be done!
Barak: Organizers of Gaza flotilla to blame for deadly clashes: Haaretz
Dep. FM: activists were armed; Netanyahu mulls canceling U.S. trip in wake of Gaza flotilla deaths.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that the organizers of the Gaza aid flotilla were to blame after at least 10 activists were killed when Israel Navy commandos stormed the ship.
In a press conference hours after the incident, Barak said that Israel was prepared to accept the consequences of its actions and would continue to protect its autonomy.
Barak voiced regret for the deaths, but called the flotilla a political provocation by and said the sponsors of the flotilla were violent supporters of a terror organization.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, meanwhile, said the soldiers were forced by violent activists to respond with live fire.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said earlier Monday that the organizers of the Gaza aid flotilla have connections to international terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Al-Qaida, and called the aid convoy a violent and provocative attempt to break the blockade on Gaza.
Ayalon, speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry, said that Israel found weapons aboard the Gaza flotilla, which were used against IDF troops.
The deputy foreign minister said that the Gaza flotilla did not heed Israel’s calls to halt its movement toward Gaza on Monday morning, and stressed that no sovereign country would have allowed such a provocation to take place.
“We couldn’t allow the opening of a corridor of smuggling arms and terrorists,” said Ayalon.
The deputy foreign minister told reporters that Israel does not want to fight with any country, but that the incident on the Gaza flotilla is not yet over.
Meanwhile. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering the cancellation of his imminent trip to the United States, in wake of the deaths of at least 10 people after Israel Navy troops boarded a flotilla of ships heading to the Gaza Strip carrying aid.
Netanyahu was due to head to Washington at the invitation of President Barack Obama.
The Israeli military said at least 10 people were killed after its troops came under fire while intercepting the convoy as it headed for the Gaza Strip.
Trade and Industry Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer voiced regret Monday morning for deaths aboard the Gaza-bound ships.
“The images are certainly not pleasant. I can only voice regret at all the fatalities,” Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio.
At Least 10 Killed as Israel Intercepts Aid Flotilla: NY Times
Alex Rozkovsky/Reuters
A pro-Palestinian activist was evacuated to a hospital in the northern city of Haifa on Monday.
JERUSALEM — The Israeli Navy raided a flotilla carrying thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza in international waters on Monday morning, killing at least 10 people, according to the Israeli military and activists traveling with the flotilla. Some Israeli media reports put the death toll higher.
The incident drew widespread international condemnation, with Israeli envoys summoned to explain their country’s actions in several European countries. The criticism offered a propaganda coup to Israel’s foes, particularly the Hamas group that holds sway in Gaza, and damaged its ties to Turkey, one of its most important Muslim partners and the unofficial sponsor of the Gaza-bound convoy.
The killings also coincided with preparations for a planned visit to Washington on Tuesday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli Defense Forces said more than 10 people were killed when naval personnel boarding the six ships in the aid convoy met with “live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs.” The naval forces then “employed riot dispersal means, including live fire,” the military said in a statement.
“That is a lie,” said Greta Berlin, a leader of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement, speaking by telephone from Cyprus. She said it was inconceivable that the civilian passengers on board would have been “waiting up to fire on the Israeli military, with all its might.”
“We never thought there would be any violence,” she said.
At least four Israeli soldiers were injured in the operation, some from gunfire, according to the military.
A military statement said two activists were later found with pistols they had taken from Israeli commandos. The activists, the military said, had apparently opened fire “as evident by the empty pistol magazines.”
The warships first intercepted the convoy of cargo and passenger boats shortly before midnight on Sunday, according to activists on one vessel. Israel had vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway.
Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy was the most ambitious attempt yet to break Israel’s three-year blockade of Gaza. About 600 passengers were said to be aboard the vessels, including the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire of Northern Ireland, and a Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein, 85.
“What we have seen this morning is a war crime,” said Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. “These were civilian ships carrying civilians and civilian goods — medicine, wheelchairs, food, construction materials.”
“What Israel does in Gaza is appalling,” he added. “No informed and decent human can say otherwise.”
At a press conference on Monday in Jerusalem, Israeli deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon said the flotilla’s intent was “not to transfer humanitarian things to Gaza” but to break the Israeli blockade.
“This blockade is legal,” he said, “and aimed at preventing the infiltration of terror and terrorists into Gaza.”
Ms. Berlin, of the Free Gaza Movement, said, “They attacked us this morning in international waters. According to the coordinates, we were 70 miles off the Israeli coast.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been scheduled to meet President Obama in Washington on Tuesday for talks on the Middle East peace process. Some media reports from Jerusalem said that Mr. Netanyahu might delay his visit.
Within hours, diplomatic repercussions began to spread from the Mediterranean to Europe where Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, called for a full inquiry into the incident and the immediate lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
A joint statement from Robert Serry and Filippo Grandi, two senior United Nations officials involved in the Middle East peace process and humanitarian aid to Gaza, condemned the raid, which they said was “apparently in international waters.”
“We wish to make clear that such tragedies are entirely avoidable if Israel heeds the repeated calls of the international community to end its counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza,” the officials said.
France expressed “profound shock” at the incident.
The outcry from Muslim leaders was strong and immediate. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, called the incident “a massacre,” according to the official Wafa news agency. Mr. Abbas is to meet with President Obama in Washington next week.
Saad Hariri, the Lebanese prime minister, denounced the raid as “a dangerous and crazy step that will exacerbate tensions in the region,” while the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said it was “inhuman.”
Channel 10, a private television station in Israel, quoted the Israeli trade minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, as saying between 14 and 16 people had been killed. He said on Israeli Army Radio that commandos boarded the ships by sliding down on ropes from a hovering helicopter and were then struck by passengers with “batons and tools.”
“The moment someone tries to snatch your weapon, to steal your weapons, that’s where you begin to lose control,” Mr. Ben-Eliezer said, quoted by Reuters.
Jamal El Shayyal, a reporter from the television broadcaster Al Jazeera, was on board the Mavi Marmara, the largest of the six ships, during the assault. He said in a video report that dozens of civilians had been injured in the fighting.
Condamnation internationale après le raid israélien sanglant: L’Humanite
Des commandos israéliens ont pris d’assaut un des bateaux de la flottille internationale en route vers Gaza. Au moins 19 passagers de la flottille ont été tués et 26 blessés.
l’Union européenne réclame une “enquête complète” sur l’assaut israélien.
Plusieurs organisations appellent à des rassemblements de protestation ce soir.
La flottille d’aide pour Gaza était encore dans les eaux internationales en direction de la bande de Gaza lorsqu’elle a été arraisonnée par des soldats israéliens qui ont ensuite ouvert le feu sur des passagers.
“Des centaines de soldats israéliens attaquent la flottille, et le capitaine de notre bateau est grièvement blessé”, a indiqué un correspondant de la chaîne de télévision Al-Jazira, à bord d’un des bateaux, avant l’interruption de la communication”.
Qualifiant le raid de “massacre”, le président de l’Autorité palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas a décrété trois jours de deuil dans les territoires palestiniens.
En réaction, le mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas appelle à une “intifada” devant les ambassades d’Israël. Ankara met en garde Israël contre des “conséquences irréparables” sur les relations bilatérales.
La radio publique israélienne avait annoncé auparavant que la censure militaire a interdit la diffusion de toute information sur les morts et les blessés transférés vers des hôpitaux en Israël.
Au moins 19 passagers de la flottille ont été tués lors d’affrontements avec un commando israélien, selon un dernier bilan. L’armée israélienne, pour justifier son assaut, a affirmé que ses soldats avaient essuyé des coups de feu lors de l’arraisonnement.
Le nombre des victimes seraient pour la plupart des ressortissants turcs, a indiqué à Gaza une ONG turque qui a participé à l’opération humanitaire navale.
Les bateaux, décidés à forcer le blocus israélien contre la population de Gaza, sont chargés de 10.000 tonnes de matériels de construction, de textile ou encore de nourriture. Cinq débarquements similaires ont réussi et trois ont échoué depuis la première opération de ce type en août 2008, selon Free Gaza qui n’en avait jamais organisé jusqu’à présent d’une telle ampleur.
La France, “choquée”, demande une enquête approfondie
Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Bernard Kouchner, s’est dit profondément choqué lundi par l’intervention israélienne contre la “flottille de la paix” pour Gaza et a demandé une enquête approfondie.
“Je suis profondément choqué par les conséquences tragiques de l’opération militaire israélienne contre « La Flottille de la Paix à destination de Gaza »”, déclare-t-il dans un communiqué.
“Nous ne comprenons pas le bilan humain, encore provisoire, d’une telle opération contre une initiative humanitaire connue depuis plusieurs jours. Rien ne saurait justifier l’emploi d’une telle violence que nous condamnons”, souligne-t-il.
“Toute la lumière doit être faite sur les circonstances de ce drame et nous souhaitons qu’une enquête approfondie soit mise en place sans délai”, poursuit-il.
“Ces événements nous rappellent que la situation actuelle à Gaza n’est pas tenable et qu’elle appelle une réponse politique urgente. Nous prendrons toutes les initiatives nécessaires pour éviter que cette tragédie ne donne lieu à de nouvelles escalades de violence”, ajoute le chef de la diplomatie française.
La Syrie a réclamé une réunion d’urgence de la Ligue arabe et le président iranien, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a dénoncé un acte “inhumain”.
Plusieurs organisations appellent à un rassemblement de protestation ce soir, 18h30, à proximité de l’ambassade d’Israël à Paris, près du métro Franklin-Roosevelt. Rassemblements identiques à Marseille, à 18h sur le Vieux Port, et à Montpellier à 18h Place de la Comédie.
Contact Obama to Cancel Tuesday’s Israeli PM Visit!: The Only Democracy?
May 31st, 2010, by Assaf Oron
I wrote here some 40 hours ago, that Israel is determined to act as brutally and stupidly the UK did in 1947 when its troops stormed a Palestine-bound ship called “Exodus” and killed 3 passengers.
But even I didn’t dream they would be this stupid, this brutal. As I write this, the IDF keeps changing versions about its act of piracy every few minutes. They still believe they can lie their way out of this one, too.
You know what? They might. Because the Israeli strategy known as “Pissing from the High Jump” has worked so far. For about a decade, no one in the world that Israel cares to count, has dared put their money where their mouth is and force Israel to become a better (rather, less terrible) global citizen.
Well, the time to change this is tonight. Tomorrow, Bibi is invited to visit Obama and if the latter’s global leadership means anything to him, he better dis-invite the creep right now.
Please contact the White House today. Ask that he:
Dis-invite PM Netanyahu from tomorrow’s visit
Condemn the piracy in no uncertain terms, and demand the immediate release of the illegally captured boats, allowing them to continue to Gaza unimpeded.
Demand that Israel treat the wounded in civilian hospitals, notify their families and embassies directly and allow the latters’ access to them and pay for families to arrive to Israel to visit hospitals and for their stay.
Demand that Israel Immediately lift the siege of Gaza.
Similarly, Immediately open the West Bank to free movement of people and goods to and from Jordan.
Israel ataca la flotilla de ayuda a Gaza y mata al menos a 10 activistas propalestinos: El Pai
La acción militar ha tenido lugar en aguas internacionales.- Algunos medios elevan la cifra de muertos a 19 y hablan de más de 36 heridos.- El convoy atacado estaba formado por seis barcos con 750 personas a bordo, tres de ellas españolas
Las víctimas son activistas que viajaban en el buque turco Mavi Marmara y la acción militar se ha producido en aguas internacionales. Entre las 750 personas que forman parte del convoy humanitario que viajaba hacia Gaza hay tres españoles. Dos de ellos, Laura Arau y Manuel Tapial, son miembros de la organización Cultura, Paz y Solidaridad y el tercero es David Segarra, periodista del canal de televisión Telesur. Manuel Tapial ha estado durante los últimos días escribiendo numerosas entradas en su blog en las que contaba detalles de la expedición, y en las últimas horas remarcaba la inquietud que le producía la presencia militar israelí en torno a los barcos. El Gobierno español ha asegurado que los tres españoles están bien y a la espera de ser repatriados a España.
Israel se defiende
El Gobierno de Israel ha lamentado esta mañana, en rueda de prensa, la muerte de los activistas pero ha asegurado que las intenciones de la flotilla eran ilegales y que desoyeron las advertencias hechas de “forma pacífica” por parte del Ejército para que abandonaran su intención de llegar hasta Gaza. El Gobierno israelí ha asegurado que dentro de los barcos interceptados han encontrado armas y que los militares israelíes han sido atacados por miembros del convoy, a los que acusan de pertenecer a “Hamás y Al Qaeda”, con “fuego real, cuchillos y palos”. El Ejecutivo israelí reconoce que existe un bloqueo contra Gaza, pero asegura que este está justificado “para evitar ataques contra la población civil de Israel” y sostiene que la ayuda humanitaria que los activistas tenían previsto entregar en territorio palestino no es necesaria porque “Gaza tienen sus necesidades humanitarias cubiertas”.
Horas antes, el Ejército aseguró en una nota que no había atacado el convoy sino que se había limitado a hacer cumplir la orden del Ejecutivo de Tel Aviv de impedir cualquier entrada no autorizada al enclave palestino. El ministerio de Exteriores ha asegurado en su Twitter que los activistas atacaron a los militares israelíes con cuchillos.
La acción del Ejército israelí ha tenido una “enérgica respuesta” por parte de Turquía y de Hamás. El Gobierno de Ankara ha advertido a Israel de que la acción militar de está noche tendrá “consecuencias irreparables” y ha llamado a consultas al embajador israelí en Ankara. Por su parte, Hamás ha llamado a llevar a cabo una intifada contras las embajadas israelíes. El presidente palestino, Mahmud Abbás, ha decretado tres días de luto en los territorios palestinos.
El ministerio de Exteriores español también ha llamado al embajado israelí Rafael Schutz , para pedirle explicacones por los “inaceptables” y “gravísimos” hechos ocurridos esta madrugada.
Evacuación de los heridos
Los heridos están siendo evacuados al puerto israelí de Ashdod, al sur de Israel, donde el Ejército ha empezado a levantar un campamento. Los periodistas que esperaban la llegada de los heridos han sido desalojados y los miembros de la flotilla están incomunicados ya que se han cortado las comunicaciones teléfonicas. Los ocupantes del barco pertenecen a más de 60 nacionalidades y entre ellos se encuentran el escritor sueco Henning Mankell, autor de la saga del detective Wallander, varios parlamentarios alemanes y ciudadanos británicos.
La portavoz del Ejército israelí, Avital Leibovitz, ha confirmado a los periodistas que esperan la llegada a puerto de los barcos que la acción militar israelí se ha producido en aguas internacionales. Leibovitz ha anunciado el Challeger ha arribado y que sus ocupantes están pendientes de pasar el proceso de inmigración. Sobre los hechos ocurridos al bordo del Mavi Marmara, la portavoz israelí ha relatado que los militares fueron atacados por una decena de activistas que portaban palos y dos pistolas, que habían arrebatado a los soldados israelíes.
Pinina Feiler, madre de uno de los activistas israelíes de la flotilla, ha relatado a El PAÍS que habló con su hijo por última vez a las 5.30, “nos contó que estban rodeados por barcos militares israelíes. Desde entonces no hemos vuelto a saber nada de él”. La mujer espera junto a otros familiares la llegada a puerto de los buques interceptados esta madrugada.
La confrontación se perfilaba el domingo por la noche inevitable en el extremo este del Mediterráneo. El Ejército israelí ultimaba un impresionante dispositivo con el que pretendía interceptar a los cientos de activistas propalestinos que navegaban rumbo a la franja de Gaza a bordo de seis barcos. La tripulación de la llamada flotilla de la libertad reiteró que no tenían intención de rendirse. El Ejército insistió en que no permitiría a los activistas atracar en el puerto de Gaza. Naciones Unidas y la Unión Europea habían llamado a la responsabilidad de las partes con el fin de evitar el incidente.
El objetivo de los activistas, de 60 nacionalidades distintas, era hacer llegar a la franja de Gaza 10.000 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria. Las flota de barcos partió el pasado 22 de mayo del puerto de Estambul y más allá de la entrega de materiales de construcción y de medicinas, a lo que de verdad aspiraban estos grupos de derechos humanos era burlar el bloqueo que Israel mantiene sobre la población de Gaza desde que Hamás se hizo con el control de la franja hace tres años.
Israele assalta navi pacifiste, 19 morti: La Repubblica
Condanna dell’Onu: “Subito inchiesta”
L’azione della marina israeliana nella notte contro il convoglio Freedom Flotilla che si stava dirigendo verso la Striscia per forzare il blocco e portare aiuti umanitari. I militari hanno sparato contro una nave turca, le vittime sono almeno 19, tra cui 6 turchi. 26 i feriti, di cui uno grave, e 10 soldati. I militari: “Dalla nave hanno sparato sui commando, trovate armi a bordo”. La denuncia delle ong e del governo turco: “Assalto illegale in acque internazionali”. Ban Ki-Moon: “Sia fatta indagine completa”. Proteste ufficiali in Europa, convocati gli ambasciatori. Ankara richiama il suo ambasciatore da Israele. Frattini: “Uccisione di civili deplorevole”. Hamas chiama all’Intifada “contro le ambasciate”, scontri a Istanbul. Il governo d’Israele accusa “gli organizzatori della flotta” e avverte i cittadini: “Lasciate la Turchia temiamo ritorsioni”. La Farnesina: “Non risultano italiani tra le vittime”
13:27 L’Austria convoca l’ambasciatore
L’Austria convoca l’ambasciatore israeliano
13:13 Cancellato il match Israele-Turchia
Sulla scia delle polemiche scatenate dall’assalto della Marina israeliana contro un convoglio di navi con aiuti umanitari destinati ai palestinesi di Gaza che ha provocato diverse vittime, anche turche, Ankara ha deciso di annullare una partita di calcio in programma tra la nazionale Under 18 turca e quella israeliana. Lo ha reso noto il vice premier Bulent Arinc
13:11 La Giordania condanna Israele
La Giordania: “Prendere di mira i civili è un crimine odioso che noi condanniamo severamente. Non ci sono giustificazioni per Israele”.
13:09 Cgil: “Profondo cordoglio”
“La Cgil, di fronte ai gravissimi fatti di questa notte che hanno visto l’assalto militare israeliano al convoglio umanitario nelle acque internazionali di fronte a Gaza, con un numero elevato di morti e feriti tra gli attivisti pacifisti, esprime il suo profondo cordoglio alle famiglie delle vittime e chiede al Governo Italiano, all’Unione Europea e alla Comunità Internazionale la più ferma condanna del comportamento di Israele”
13:08 Free Gaza Movement: “Non abbiamo aperto il fuoco”
“E’ una bugia”. Così Greta Berlin, leader del Free Gaza Movement, una delle Ong che ha organizzato la flottiglia della pace, replica alle dichiarazioni del governo israeliano che afferma che gli attivisti hanno esploso proiettili e usato coltelli e bastoni contro i militari saliti a bordo, provocando così la reazione israeliana
13:01 Della Seta (Pd): “Governo Nethanyau fuori dalla legalità internazionale”
“Quello che si è consumato stanotte con l’assalto di militari israeliani in acque internazionali alla Freedom Flotilla diretta a Gaza, è un atto di puro terrorismo che colloca il governo Nethanyau fuori dalla legalità internazionale e che impone adeguate reazioni diplomatiche da parte dell’Unione europea e dello stesso governo italiano, visto che a bordo ci sono diversi nostri concittadini”. E’ quanto dichiara il senatore Pd Roberto Della Seta, membro della Commissione speciale per i Diritti Umani
12:54 La comunità internazionale: “Condanna unanime”
Contro il raid israeliano arriva la condanna unanime della comunità internazionale
12:52 Il ministro della Difesa israeliano: “Nessuno muore di fame a Gaza”
Non c’è una crisi umanitaria e nessuno muore di fame nella striscia di Gaza, dove il problema è il fatto che il controllo del territorio è nelle mani di un’organizzazione terroristica (Hamas). Lo ha affermato oggi il ministro della difesa israeliano Ehud Barak
12:51 Sofia: “In cerca dei nostri giornalisti”
Sofia cerca informazioni su due suoi giornalisti “forse a bordo di una delle navi della flotta”
12:48 Ban Ki-Moon: Sono sconvolto”
Ban Ki-Moon: “Sono sconvolto”
12:47 Il parroco di Gaza: “Gente disperata mostra rabbia”
Una miscela che rischia di infiammare di nuovo la striscia complice anche il blocco dei valichi ad opera di Israele. Così il parroco di gaza spiega che “il blocco della Striscia, per quanto non completo – alcuni prodotti alimentari vengono fatti entrare da Israele – acuisce la difficoltà della popolazione sottoposta ad un peggioramento continuo della situazione socioeconomica. L’economia è instabile e i prodotti sono soggetti a continui sbalzi di prezzi. La gente è sempre più nervosa e incline a mostrare la propria rabbia”
12:43 Frattini: “Spero che non si rompano i negoziati di pace”
Il ministro Frattini si augura che l’operazione militare israeliana “non pregiudichi l’andamento dei negoziati di pace e della soluzione finale per il medio oriente”
12:41 Sarkozy: “Siamo contro la violenza”
Il presidente francese Nicolas Sarkozy “condanna l’uso sproporzionato della forza” da parte di Israele contro la flottiglia filo-palestinese diretta a Gaza
12:40 Il Vaticano: “Preoccupati”
il Vaticano è “proccupato per l’inutile violenza”
12:39 Barak: “Colpa degli organizzatori della missione”
La responsabilità di quanto accaduto va attribuita agli organizzatori della missione della flottiglia. Così il ministro della Difesa israeliano Ehud Barak risponde alle accuse mosse al suo paese dopo l’attacco delle forze israeliane alle navi che portavano aiuti umanitari a Gaza
12:31 Il segretario Onu: “Condanno l’azione”
Ban Ki-Moon condanna le uccisioni. “E’ vitale – ha detto – andare a fondo con le indagini” U.N.
12:30 La Lega: “No all’uso della forza”
Il presidente della commissione Esteri della Camera, Stefano Stefani (Lega Nord), ha espresso il suo cordoglio per il sanguinoso epilogo della iniziativa di alcune centinaia di pacifisti intercettati dalla marina israeliana a largo di Gaza
12:29 Pd: “Il governo riferisca in Aula”
Arriva anche dal Pd la richiesta al governo di riferire in parlamento per spiegare cosa è successo con il “gravissimo assalto” di israele alla flotta pacifista. Richiesta avanzata dal vicepresidente dei deputati democratici, Alessandro Maran, che esprime “sconcerto e dolore per l’attacco alla freedom flotilia diretta a Gaza nel quale sarebbero morti 19 pacifisti”
12:28 L’Onu: “Siamo scioccati”
L’ Alto Commissario delle Nazioni Unite per i Diritti Umani Navi Pillay si è detta oggi “scioccata” dall’attacco contro la flottiglia di attivisti diretta a Gaza.”Sono scioccata dalle notizie secondo cui si è usata la violenza contro il convoglio di aiuti umanitari provocando morti e feriti”, ha dichiarato intervenendo al Consiglio dei Diritti Umani delle Nazioni Unite.
12:28 Bonelli: “La comunità internazionale agisca”
“Si convochi immediatamente il Consiglio di Sicurezza dell’Onu. Il massacro avvenuto questa notte è un atto gravissimo e vergognoso che rischia di portare alla guerra”. Lo dichiara il presidente nazionale dei Verdi Angelo Bonelli, secondo il quale “è necessario che la comunità internazionale dia immediatamente un segnale forte per affrontare una situazione che è ormai fuori controllo”