Israeli commandos have attacked the unarmed Flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip killing 16 and injuring dozens.
Video of attacks by the Israeli military
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The attacks which took place just before dawn had been described as indiscriminate shooting at “unarmed civilians” by Greta Berlin spokesman for the flotilla.
Masked commandos were filmed going onto the “Mavi Marmara”, the lead ship of the Flotilla which was carrying hundreds of civilians, by dropping down helicopters.
Though a spokesman from the Flotilla had said ten civilians were reported to have been killed, an Israeli website said that there were up to 16 people which were killed.
All TV footage was soon cut off from the Flotilla after the Israeli Commandos raids started.
Berlin said “How could the Israeli military attack civilians like this? Do they think that because they can attack Palestinians indiscriminately they can attack anyone? We have two other boats. This is not going to stop us.”
Israel has been swift in calling the Flotilla, a propaganda and provocation to Israel.
The Israeli deputy foreign minister who organized a press conference on Monday said ”I want to report this morning that the armada of hate and violence in support of Hamas terror organization was a premeditated and outrageous provocation”.
The deputy foreign minister also accused the organizers of the Flotilla, of supporting “Global jihad” and that “they have a history of arms smuggling and deadly terror.”
According to the Israeli government, some members of the groups in the ships were armed with knives and guns and had attacked first.
Wide International condemnation has come to Israel with Turkey in the front row as protesters tried to storm the Israeli Consulate in Turkey.
Video From CNN TURK of the Israeli attacks
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Binyamin Ben-Eliezer the trade and industry minister, told army radio “The images are certainly not pleasant. I can only voice regret at all the fatalities,”
According to Israeli sources, four men were injured in the alleged attacks by the activists and shot were fired.
The last of the Flotilla, The “Mavi Marmara” a Turkish ship had took from the Antalya Port of Turkey on Friday to meet with another five ships on International waters on Southern Cyprus.
According to reports, the ships were under close inspection from the Israeli government via drones and other observation technology.
Earlier last week the Israeli Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom had briefed soldiers and said “We are IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers who operate according to the spirit of the IDF and according to the IDF values and we will act professionally and with determination.”
“WE have no intension of harming anyone of these people.”
The words of Marom echoed as reports of the fatalities on board the Mavi Marmara came.
It has been reported that Greece, Sweden and Spain have pulled their ambassadors from Israel in condemnation of the actions of the IDF.
Some of the footage was of disturbing nature as a woman in Hijab was seen carrying a stretcher with blood stains on it.
All video footage being broadcasted from the Flotilla have been cut with one of the last footage being of a voice shouting “Everyone shut up” in Hebrew.
[media id=274 width=610 height=340]This was the latest of a series of attempts by activists to protest the Israeli Embargo on Gaza and to send aid to the Gaza people.
According to reports the Israeli troops boarded the ships 80 miles away from the Gaza coast which are international waters.
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Gaza shot first