Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (5 June): Israel Forces Board the Rachel Corrie

1930 GMT: The Israeli military has released an audio of its communications with the "7th flotilla ship" (no mention of the name "Rachel Corrie") to accompany its video of the boarding.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pU5HPudACE[/youtube]

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1920 GMT: Ha'aretz reports on demonstrations in Paris, Dublin, London, and Sydney. Swedish dockworkers will launch a week-long blockade of Israeli ships and goods.


1550 GMT: The Israel Defense Forces have issued a press release on the docking of the Rachel Corrie at Ashdod. The IDF is still omitting the name of the ship in the announcement (see 1000 GMT).

1445 GMT: The Rachel Corrie has entered the port of Ashdod in Israel.

1420 GMT: Pressing Israel. British Foreign Secretary William Hague has used today's events to reiterate a firm stance towards Israel on both Monday's attack and on the blockade of Gaza:

I am glad that the interception of the Rachel Corrie has been resolved peacefully....We want to see a full, credible, impartial and independent investigation into the events surrounding last week's interception of the Gaza flotilla, which resulted in the tragic deaths of nine people. We continue to stress to the Israeli government the importance of an investigation that ensures accountability and commands the confidence of the international community, and includes international participation.

We urgently need to see unfettered access to Gaza to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and to enable the reconstruction of homes, livelihoods and trade. That is why we continue to press the Government of Israel to lift Gaza's closure.

1305 GMT: Eyewitness Testimony from Monday. Two accounts from passengers on the Mavi Marmara, the lead Flotilla ship where nine people died: journalist Abbas Al Lawati offers a detailedrecollection for Gulf News (Part 1 and Part 2), and filmmaker Iara Lee c9mments in the San Francisco Chronicle.

1240 GMT: The Israeli military has posted aerial video of the boarding of the Rachel Corrie:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl_hXkYOy1c[/youtube]

1045 GMT: The Israeli military is already putting out its line: "The difference between today and Monday:on Monday Israel Defense Force was facing radicals with ties to terrorism who had prepared attack."

1000 GMT: An interesting side note: in its press release, the Israeli military refuse to mention the name of the ship: Rachel Corrie.

Corrie, a member of the International Solidarity Movement, was crushed to death when she stood in the path of an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

0940 GMT: The Israeli military reports, "The crew of the Rachel Corrie has permitted IDF [Israel Defense Force] soldiers to board....The Rachel Corrie will be brought to the Ashdod Port where goods will be inspected and transferred to Gaza via land crossings."

Israel Defense Forces have followed this with a press release on their website.

0905 GMT: The Israeli military has just released this video of their contact with the Rachel Corrie:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDkqYrwuDP0[/youtube]

0840 GMT: Israeli military reports that the Rachel Corrie has rejected a fourth command to divert to Ashdod.

0830 GMT: The US Position. A White House statement had urged the Rachel Corrie to accept the Israeli demand to go to the port of Ashdod in Israel. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said the ship should do so "in the interest of the safety of all involved".

0800 GMT: With the only on-the-spot news coming from Israel's military --- communications with the Rachel Corrie are jammed --- little update in the last 90 minutes. The ship, having defied a third Israeli call to divert to Israel's port of Ashdod, is about 30 miles from the coast.

An eyewitness in Gaza claims that six Israeli gunships have appeared on the horizon.

0630 GMT: Israel military says Rachel Corrie has now ignored second call to divert to Israel.

0625 GMT: Israel Defense Forces update:

[An Israeli ship signalled, “This is the Israeli Navy. You are approaching an area of hostilities which is under a naval blockade. The Gaza area, coastal region and Gaza Harbor are closed to all maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and invites you to enter the Ashdod port. Delivery of the supplies in accordance with the authorities’ regulations will be done via the formal land crossings and under your observation, after which you can return to your home ports aboard the vessels on which you arrived.”

The ship organizers chose to ignore the invitation to dock at the Ashdod port where the cargo could be unloaded and transferred to the Gaza Strip upon inspection.

0615 GMT: Israel Defense Forces write, "IDF Navy began transmission to crew of Rachel Corrie telling them to dock at Ashdod [in Israel]; aid will be transferred via land crossings to Gaza."

0610 GMT: Monday's Attack. Yalcin Buyuk, the vice-chairman of the Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine, has said the nine slain passengers from the Mavi Marmara were shot a total of 30 times.

0605 GMT: An Israeli army officer tells Ma'an News Agency that the Rachel Corrie will not be allowed to dock in the Gaza Strip: "This has been our policy all along, and does not represent a change."

0525 GMT: We wait this morning to uncertainty over the situation with the MV Rachel Corrie, the merchant ship trying to deliver aid to Gaza. It is reported that the vessel is 50 miles off the coast, but Flotilla organisers, trying every two minutes, have been unable to establish communication.

The Israel Defense Forces say that an Israeli ship has made initial contact with the Rachel Corrie requesting under customary naval protocal, that they identify themselves. They deny denied that the ship has been boarded.

Meanwhile, the propaganda battle over the initial Israeli attack on Monday continues. Flotilla supporters have posted evidence that an audio circulated by Israel Defense Forces (see yesterday's updates), ostensibly claiming that passengers replied to commands to halt with insults like "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz", has been fabricated.

Comments

[Cyrus S]

This reminds me of the way IR tried to deny Neda's murder, making up dumb denials that all failed
Let's say the radio message was fabricated, how about after sending them a boat to give them a direct contact warning? They attacked the boat with metal bars, chains, water cannons and stun grenades and everything was taped. After the warnings didn't work they decided to send ppl on board of the ship by hellicopters without giving any soldiers authorization to shoot. They were equipped with paint guns and hand guns just in case. When the soldiers were stabbed and jumped by the jihadists on board of the ship, they called and asked for a shooting permit.
Why everyone is trying to make their own stories instead of sticking to the facts and evidence? I don't say all the ppl on board of the ship were terrorists, but the ones who initiated the violence were and they were on board of the ship to be killed (martyred what the consider death while fighting the kafirs), even written their wills and their plan wasn't to take down Israel overnight, but to do what they did, put Israel under international pressure since their buddies had the media in their control.

They chanted war and anti-Jewish slogans such as the repeat of the war Mohammad fought against a Jewish tribe that killed all war prisoners after they were captured.

Turkey has more fanatics, more Mullahs and more mosques than any other country in the world. The seculars have always been the minority and now after decades of struggle since Ata Turk, they have a majority supported fanatical Islamic party in power and the same way Mullahs used US & Israel as external enemies to unite ppl in order to stay in power, Turkey"s Islamic party is using IR's play book to accomplish the same. Also with its majority Sunni population and closer relationship to the Arab world, they're about to accomplish the goal Khomeini tried to accomplish decades ago, to unite Muslims against all the infidels and create an Islamic superpower. IR is also considered to be an ally and ideological supporter to accomplish that goal.

So, to all you infidels in the world, if you're supporting the jihadists on that ship, you're supporting your holy enemies who are trying to unite against you all, no matter Chinese, European, American, whatever you are. Wake the fk up

We've lived under the Islamic suppression for 3 decades and all the honest ones of us would tell you the same about what all the muslims in the world believe in common.

Know your enemies, if you really want to help the people of middle east and the safty of future generations in the freeworld, support the secular minded people of the middle east, not the fanatic ones and don't fall into their emotional traps, Islam doesn't know no emotions, they're all set for you.

Turkey is following the same path Iran followed 31 years ago, but has thhe potential to be more dangerous not for its own ppl as IR didm but to the rest of the world

[Cyrus S]

Don't get confused abt something, I condemn israel for why the casulaties were so high, but do not condemn the fact of boarding the ship for inspections, I've had friends who were captains and know insppections in international territories are permitted specially when a suspected ship approaches a blockade territory
And still think it would've been wise if they conducted inspections after the ship entered the territory

And for the situation in Gaza, I blame Hamas more than any one else because there wouldn't be a sanction if hamas didn't engage in terrorism and violence+ hamas has killed and oppressed more Palastinians than Israel

[Goya]

The situation in Gaza is, intrinsically, caused by the territorial aggression committed by the Israelis. I find it hard to empathize with the people who interact with the entire world from the ridiculous position of 'chosen ones' and drown us in arrogant lies and economic slavery.

[Dave]

1045 GMT: The Israeli military is already putting out its line: “The difference between today and Monday:on Monday Israel Defense Force was facing radicals with ties to terrorism who had prepared attack.”

***********

It's probably because the individuals on the Rachel Corrie are Irish.

[am]

why idf didn't wait until sunrise?

[Dave]

QUOTING HAGUE -- "We continue to stress to the Israeli government the importance of an investigation that ensures accountability and commands the confidence of the international community, and includes international participation."

**************

What is William Hague thinking? Israel was justified in halting the ships and inspecting the cargo they were carrying. The Israeli commandos were also justified in defending themselves as well. Israeli actions should not be at issue. The people who should be investigated and held accountable are the 'activists' and their enablers. They are the ones responsible for the violence and the bloodshed. The activists wanted violence to take place. They were the instigators and they did it with the aim of creating a public relations nightmare for Israel. Anybody with unbiased and rational views can see that. Hague is pointing his finger at the wrong party.

[wdavit]

Arshama,

I don't think it was a mistake that they sent it. I think they realized it was a mistake after sending it based on the reaction. In any event It was funny but tasteless considering the loss of life. While I laughed I did sober up realizing people lost their lives for nothing.

Thx
Bill

[Bahman]

Sure Dave. Israel is the real victim here but the entire world is anti-semetic!

Amazing the mental gymnastics that closed-minded people put themselves thru to hold onto their obvious delusions.

[Norrishall]

The Israeli attack of boats in international waters brings back images of the Israeli attack on The USS Liberty , a United States Navy technical research ship by Israeli Air Force jet fighter planes and motor torpedo boats, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War.
The combined air and sea attack killed 34 U.S. crew members (naval officers, seamen, two Marines, and a civilian), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.
At the time, the ship was in international waters, too.
The ship was intelligence gathering

Israel declared it would defend its coast with every means at its disposal, including sinking unidentified ships.

Captain William L. McGonagle of the Liberty asked Vice Admiral William I. Martin at the U.S. 6th Fleet headquarters to send a destroyer to accompany the Liberty and serve as its armed escort
But The following day, June 6, Admiral Martin replied: “Liberty is a clearly marked United States ship in international waters, not a participant in the conflict and not a reasonable subject for attack by any nation. Request denied.”

Nevertheless, Israelis attacked the ship with great loss of American lives.

[Catherine]

Norrishall,
I don't think the IDF gives a fiddler's fart about how clearly marked non-combatant objects/people are. Many will recall how one of their tanks callously killed a Reuters cameraman despite clear markings that showed him to be a journalist. Then, as now with the Freedom Flotilla deaths, an appeal was made for Israel to launch an investigation into the incident (not to mention the various other calls for thorough, independent investigations still pending from the war on Gaza).

David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters News, said: "It is clear to me that we need a thorough and immediate investigation by the Israeli defence forces into what happened. .... The markings on Fadel Shana’s vehicle showed clearly and unambiguously that he was a professional journalist doing his duty....".
More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3764160.ece" rel="nofollow">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/mid...

I don't recall anything except self-exoneration resulting from calls for immediate, thorough (let alone "independent") Israeli investigations of its own misdeeds. What - if any - was the fallout after the attack on the Liberty?

[Arshama]

Bill,

Thank you for your reply. Quite frankly I had the same idea, but decided to wait for the reactions of other readers. The video is of very bad taste, because it ridiculises a) the song "We are the world" and its singers, and b) the Arabs as illiterate, ignorant and bloodthirsty. I have no problems with a satire on the song (already available right to the end of Genesis' wonderful clip "Land of Confusion" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvZkKK7KZ_o" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvZkKK7KZ_o ), but these kind of stereotypes are only hate speech, nothing else.

Regards
Arshama

[wdavit]

Land of confusion by Gensis is one of my favorite songs of all time. The video was just awesome!! Probably giving away my age but I have to admit I have a fondness for those old 80's tunes!! And, yes the con the world was tasteless and indicative of the sterotypes people often resort to when talking about the other!!!

[Kurt]

I think saying that Turkey is going down the same path is a little premature at this point.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/06/01/how_do_you_say_frenemy_in_Turkish" rel="nofollow">http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/06/0...

[Arshama]

Bill, Don't mind about it. Remember, with age comes wisdom ;-)