http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj
Israeli Commandos Attack Gaza Aid Convoy
MIDDLE EAST NEWS
MAY 31, 2010, 2:34 A.M. ET
Israeli commandos on Monday stormed six ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid mission to the blockaded Gaza Strip, setting off fierce battles in which at least four people were killed and dozens were wounded.
There were conflicting accounts of what happened.
The Israeli military said at least four pro-Palestinian activists were killed after attacking naval commandos with knives and clubs as they boarded the six vessels. It said soldiers opened fire after a protester grabbed a weapon from one of the commandos. "The people on the boats were very, very violent toward the soldiers," said Israeli military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich.
The army said dozens of people were wounded, both soldiers and activists, and it was evacuating the casualties from the Mediterranean by helicopter.
Al-Jazeera, meanwhile, reported by telephone from the Turkish ship leading the flotilla that Israeli navy forces fired at the ship and boarded it, wounding the captain.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry, citing "preliminary information," said at least two people were killed and more than 30 wounded. Turkey's NTV, which had a reporter on board one of the ships, also said two were killed.
NTV showed activists beating one Israeli soldier with sticks as he rappelled from a helicopter onto one of the boats.
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.
There were no details on the identities of the casualties, or on the conditions of some of the more prominent people on board, including a Nobel peace laureate and an elderly Holocaust survivor. Satellite phones on board the ships were turned off, and communication with a small group of reporters embedded with the Israeli military was blocked.
In Turkey, which had unofficially supported the aid mission, news of the attack sparked violent protests. 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 Israeli military denied its forces attacked the boats, saying soldiers were under orders only to use fire if their lives were in danger.
Some 700 pro-Palestinian activists were on the boats, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, European legislators and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, 85....
After nightfall Sunday, 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....
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.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-flotilla.html
At least 16 dead as Israeli troops storm Gaza aid flotilla
By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent and Matthew Kalman in Jerusalem
Published: 7:21AM BST 31 May 2010
Fighting broke out between the activists and the masked Israeli troops, who rappelled on to deck from helicopters before dawn.
A spokesman for the flotilla, Greta Berlin, said she had been told that ten people had been killed and dozens wounded, accusing Israeli troops of indiscriminately shooting at "unarmed civilians". But an Israeli radio station said that between 14 and 16 were dead in a continuing operation....
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http://www.themedialine.org/news/new...p?NewsID=28979
....Israeli army Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Avi Beneyahu said that forces along Israel’s border were on alert against possible rocket attacks from Lebanon and Gaza, as well as potential violence in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Israel Police have begun deploying across the country, particularly in areas of Israeli Arab towns, to head off potential rioting by sympathizers with the flotilla.
“Police are deploying in areas across the country in order to prevent disturbances from taking place,” said Mickey Rosenfeld, spokesman for Israel Police.
The commandos assaulted the boats, climbing aboard from rafts and dropping from helicopters.
The army said the activists attacked soldiers with knifes, clubs and a rifle snatched from an Israeli commando, injuring four Israeli servicemen. The injured were all being transported to Israel for treatment.
“Every serviceman encountered violent reaction," Beneyahu said. "Let’s say they didn’t look like peace activists.”....
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