|
 Israel
Strikes Once Again, This Time in International Waters
America's Blue-Eyed Monster defies world
outrage, kills 19 and arrests 610 peace activists after a deadly raid by
its navy on an aid flotilla bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip.
On 6th May we had carried information about a turkish organisation
arranging aid for the Palestinians here:
The Road to Gaza is open: take part in breaking the
illegal and cruel siege
By Aamena Khan
The
Milli Gazette
01 June 2010
One ship of the six ship-flotilla carrying hundreds of
activists and 10,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza came under attack from the
Israeli Defense Force early on Monday in international waters, in what the
Israelis are calling an act of self defence. Anywhere between 10-20
activists have been killed, and many more injured.
The ships, popularly known as the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were aiming to
break Israel's three year blockade, and were carrying humanitarian aid
including building materials, medical supplies and educational goods which
are not allowed by Israel under the blockade. Israel claims it allows
about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week. But the UN
says this is less than a quarter of what is needed. Gaza is falling apart
with almost no reconstruction taking place after the December 2008
incident, in which Israel broke the ceasefire and mercilessly bombarded
Gaza for weeks. Homes, schools, mosques, and UN centers were all targeted
by Israel.
The ship, a Turkish passenger ferry called the Mavi Marmara was one of the
three provided the IHH — Insani Yardim Vakfi, a Turkish aid organisation.
The passengers on board the Mavi Marmara were mostly Turkish, but other
nationalities in the flotilla inlcuded Algerian, Australian, Belgian,
Brazilian, Canadian, German, Greek, Irish, Israeli, Kuwaiti, Malaysian,
Norwegian, Dutch, Palestinian, Polish, Serbian, Spanish, Swede, British,
Italian, Tunisian, Scottish, Danish and American, including over 30
parliamentarians from various countries and other notables such as Hedy
Epstein, a holocaust survivor and Mairead Corrigan Maguire, an Irish Nobel
laureate.
According to Israel the IDF opened fire after its soldiers landed on the
Mavi Marmara and came under attack from the activists on board the ship,
with Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev claiming on the BBC that had the
activists' purpose been peaceful they would have been allowed to pass, but
that the Mavi Marmara was carrying extremists, and even went on to claim
that the IHH supports terrorists and has links with Al-Qaida.
"Unfortunately this group were dead-set on confrontation," he told the
BBC.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that the flotilla of ships "was
an armada of hate and violence," and expressed regret for loss of lives
but shrugged off responsibility saying that the organizers were solely
responsible for the deaths and claimed they did all they could to avoid
this outcome.
"This flotilla was anything but a humanitarian mission," Israel's deputy
UN ambassador Daniel Carmon claimed. "What kind of peace activists use
knives, clubs and other weapons to attack soldiers, who board a ship in
accordance with international law?" he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in his first public comments after the
incident went on to say, "They were mobbed. They were clubbed, they were
beaten, stabbed. There was even a report of gunfire and our soldiers had
to defend themselves, defend their lives or they would have been killed."
The attack has led to world wide uproar and protests, with many countries
and organizations including the UN demanding an explantion and an inquiry
with UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon expressing shock on hearing reports
of killings and injuries and urging investigation. UN Security Council has
issued a statement calling for an impartial inquiry into Israel's raid on
a flotilla of Gaza-bound aid ships. The attack has naturally led to a
strain in Israelis ties with many of its allies, specially its lone Muslim
ally, Turkey.
Even as international condenmation poured in with Turkish foreign ministry
warning Israel of irreparable damage to bilateral ties and talking of
recalling the Turkish Ambassador from Tel Aviv and French President
Sarkozy condemning the disproportionate use of force, President Obama
failed to condemn the attack and merely expressed regret for the loss of
lives, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu cancelled a visit to Washington
which was scheduled for today, and headed back to Israel after cutting
short a visit to Canada.
Israel has directed all the ships to Ashdod where the activists have been
detained and are being questioned and the injured are being treated.
According to reports 50 have agreed to be deported and the rest will be
kept in detention centers. Israel says it will deliver the ships' aid
cargo to Gaza by land after putting it through checks and making sure
nothing reaches Gaza which can help Hamas become stronger.
For now Israel has imposed as information black out making it difficult to
get first hand accounts from the campaigners activists .
The above report has been compiled using various
sources.
::
Join Protest March to Israeli Embassy Delhi
RSVP to this event Facebook users can
confirm their
attendance here.
For more information on the Flotilla
IHH's official website is not accessible.
http://ihhinsaniyardimvakfi.wordpress.com/
IHH Facebook page
IHHtr
A facebook group
Peoples in
Solidarity with Ships to Gaza gives out latest updates.
A facebook group
BOYCOTT
ISRAEL
A facebook page
The Freedom Flotilla
A facebook page
Shame on you Israel !!
A facebook page
Save Palestine from the Israeli occupation
freegaza.org
shiptogaza.se
twitter.com/freegazaorg
www.flickr.com/photos/freegaza
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2365573794
www.youtube.com/gazafriends
witnessgaza.com
freepalestinemovement.org/index.php
Google News: Flotilla
[end]
«
Tags: Human Rights Violation, Palestine, Israel, UN, America, IHH, Turkey,
Humanitarian crisis, blockade, Gaza, siege, Palestinians, Occupation
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