Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship

[Admiral Donutz]

Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship

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.

Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.

(...)

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 said it "strongly condemn[ed] these inhumane practices of Israel", AFP news agency reported.
In Turkey, dozens of protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in the Istanbul, while Israeli ambassadors have been summoned to the Turkish, Greek and Spanish foreign ministries to explain what happened.

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.

Source: BBC News - Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship

Seems like the situation escalated, to say the least, because the ships would't stop.  If the cargo has been checked and only contains aid material, then I don't see why they wouldn't let the aid reach palestinian controlled land. Such blockades don't exactly encourage to come to a concensus, if anything it polarizes the parties involved...

[Stefan]

there is never an excuse to kill people

What irks me the most is politicians around the world "regret" what happened and the world moves on....  again and again the same shit happens by the same people, Iran gets 15785 sanctions and threated to be bombed not to mention active meassures to replave its gouvernment.

A documentary shot not so long ago , Ross kemp in Gaza to give you an idea how things are going in Gaza and why people try to bring in aid through ships cause Israel threats it as a huge concentration camp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWeiAmr_atA

[siben]

They attacked a merchant ship (aid materials in this case, for a population that really needs them) in international waters, i hope they put the old punishments on this for those who ordered this, hang them by there necks, because this is piracy in my book.

Anyway, i hope more people will see now that the Jews are not the good guys in this conflict, but the oppressors. And that proper international sanctions should be taken against them.

The people should not have fought back while they where being boarded, but i am wondering, is it allowed to try to stop someone from entering your ship without your permission in international waters? I do not know for sure but you would think that you would be allowed to do so, i mean, people can't just walk into your house without your permission eather, and it is sort of the same.

Anyway, that German anti jewish propaganda from WW2 is getting more to the truth every day.

[Admiral Donutz]

I wonder that too, if it indeed happend in international waters then such an act would be labeled as "hostile" (piracy, illegal attempt at trying to gain control over a vessel, or whatever you want to name it).  within national (Isreali) waters it could easily be excused as enforcing their laws, one has the right to stop/board ships that you don't want in your waters.

The one exception to boarding sin international waters that I would expect, would be to check ships which are suspected to head for a country to smuggle in items/goods that have been banned under international (UN) treaties. 

[Dnarag1M]

Siben,

In the past there are several well documented cases where 'aid materials' consisted of bullets and guns. So I understand the reluctancy of the Israel government to let the goods through without a thorough inspection.

However, I dont think they need to use so much force, and hope it gets clarified what happened exactly on the ships.

[MaJ.P.Bouras]

I wish Turkey declares war on them and Greece joins.Together we can fight them.Then keep up what we were doing all those years hating each other 

[Admiral Donutz]

Siben,

In the past there are several well documented cases where 'aid materials' consisted of bullets and guns. So I understand the reluctancy of the Israel government to let the goods through without a thorough inspection.

However, I dont think they need to use so much force, and hope it gets clarified what happened exactly on the ships.

I would assume that these aid workers made sure that their cargo was indeed just aid. "aid" smuggled by some random truck... that could potentially be fishy and contain weapons and such. 

Some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtPSAof8MDw (what are they shouting?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erxNHmFPHzk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB6BxmZ9krs (AlJazeera English report)

[siben]

Siben,

In the past there are several well documented cases where 'aid materials' consisted of bullets and guns. So I understand the reluctancy of the Israel government to let the goods through without a thorough inspection.

However, I dont think they need to use so much force, and hope it gets clarified what happened exactly on the ships.

Maybe, but a ship leaving from Cyprus would have a very small chance of being loaded with weapons, if it was Iran or so then maybe, but Cyprus?

I can't seem to get on the OP's link so here is another one.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/05/201053133047995359.html

[Battlefieldfan45 (CroPanzer)]

I wish Turkey declares war on them and Greece joins.Together we can fight them.Then keep up what we were doing all those years hating each other 

You want to declare war upon Israel?
YOU'RE SCREWED!! 
Damn they made a scpec-ops assault on Uganda once and everyone were stunned how well they did it.

[Eglaerinion]

Why didn't they simply sail to an Israeli harbour had the cargo checked. Seems like a clear provocation. The fact that there were 600 activists on a boat that was supposed to be carrying humanitarian aid isn't exactly convincing either. They learned the hard way that attacking a boarding party isn't very smart.

I wish Turkey declares war on them and Greece joins.Together we can fight them.Then keep up what we were doing all those years hating each other  

Idiot.

[Stefan]

Why didn't they simply sail to an Israeli harbour had the cargo checked. Seems like a clear provocation. The fact that there were 600 activists on a boat that was supposed to be carrying humanitarian aid isn't exactly convincing either. They learned the hard way that attacking a boarding party isn't very smart.

I wish Turkey declares war on them and Greece joins.Together we can fight them.Then keep up what we were doing all those years hating each other  

Idiot.

Cause Gaza is owned by the palestineans, not by israel. That and they were in international waters.

[von.small]

Nuke Israel and whole area, it's the only way to end this bullshit.  I'm sick of hearing about it.  Take your religious differences somewhere else, take them to your heavens, there are much bigger things to fight, Chinas pollution, US over consumption, Japanese aggressive fishing, Indias corrupt economy, Global Warming blah blah blah.  

[Ciupita]

Anyway, that German anti jewish propaganda from WW2 is getting more to the truth every day.

Always when I read news about Israel, I think exactly the same... How long they can do whatever they want "because Hitler"? Please, nuke the country... or something.

[MaJ.P.Bouras]

I wish Turkey declares war on them and Greece joins.Together we can fight them.Then keep up what we were doing all those years hating each other  

Idiot.

Why am i an idiot my kind sir? For wanting to teach them a lesson of keeping your nose down and not acting as if god is you?

[Thorondor123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSBoO4GzHaI

"Where can you find pirates?
Off the coast of Israel, off the coast of Israel we've got pirates.
Where's your charity fleet?
It's probably in Israel, come to Israel we've got your humanitarian aid.
Forget Long John!
Israel, Next door to Palestine.
Where all your goods are,
And pirates shout YARRRR!
Israel, Israel, Israel, Israel!
Israel, walk the plank in Israel.
Can you high seas it?"