Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (7 June): Moving Beyond the Attack

2045 GMT: Back from an academic break to find that Israel has tried to set out the lines of an internal enquiry into last Monday's attack. Gregg Carlstrom reports, "IDF [Israel Defense Forces announces internal 'team of experts' to review flotilla operation, led by reserve general; other three members are high-ranking officers."

Gaza Flotilla: Israel “Passengers Linked to Hamas, Al Qa’eda, Terrorist Organisations”
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (6 June): Israel Blames “Islamist Mercenaries”

1330 GMT: More on the Turkish Line. The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) gathered in Istanbul today; Israel, one of the 20 members, was absent. In his public briefing, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said: "Israel has the responsibility of accountability in front of international law. We have nothing to hide. It is Israel that has to give response to the international commission. If some countries are privileged and out of international law, let us know so."

Then Davutoglu made Ankara's next move in the chess game both over the Flotilla and over regional politics, "If Israel gives the green light to the formation of an international committee and is ready to answer questions of the committee, Turkish-Israeli relations will have a different course. Otherwise, Turkish-Israeli relations cannot be normalized."

Davutoglu reiterated, "If Israel thinks it has protected its national interests and rights, it should declare that it accepts formation of an international committee. Otherwise, it means that they are hiding some facts."

Pretty strong stuff, but gentle compared to the opinion of Israel's former Deputy Chief of General Staff, Uzi Dayan: "If the Turkish Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip Erdogan joins such a flotilla, we should make clear beforehand this would be an act of war, and we would not try to take over the ship he was on, but would sink it.”

1325 GMT: Sorry (Sort Of) for the Satire. The Israeli Government has apologised for a spoof video e-mailed by its press office to international media.

To the tune of US LiveAid's 1985 "We Are the World", the video shows "peace activists" singing, "We Con the World".

Mark Regev, the main spokesman for the Israeli Government, clarified, "I thought it was funny. It is what Israelis feel, but the government has nothing to do with it."

1230 GMT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad came together for a public briefing in Istanbul. Erdogan said:

Thank you for accepting our invitation. We talked about the provocative attack against the humanitarian aid ship in which our people were there. And we cursed it once more.

The attack's targeting unarmed peace attendants increases the importance of the situation.

This shame of humanity against innocent civilians is violating international laws.

If one is to talk about terror in Mediterranean, it is Israel's state terrorism.

1200 GMT: Turkish President Abdullah Gul talked to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, a joint committee agreement was signed between Palestinian leader on foreign affairs, Riad El Maliki and Ahmet Davutoglu. According to Turkish daily Hurriyet, this agreement consolidates Turkey's political support and organizes the operational structure of Turkish aid to Palestine indefinitely.

1100 GMT: When asked whether military agreements with Israel are to be suspended or canceled, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said, "All agreements, including the military ones, are still in place."

1045 GMT: The Israel Defense Forces’ Operations Directorate has issued an order forbidding all IDF personnel from traveling to Turkey “out of fear for Israelis being attacked”.

1015 GMT: So when does the Flotilla crisis stop being a crisis? Well, it could well be when “new” news intervenes.

This morning last week’s events have been overtaken by reports that Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians on a boat off the coast of Gaza. The Israelis claim the men were wearing diving gear. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah [note: not Hamas], have told Al Jazeera the men were members of the group and were only conducting "training exercises".

Hamas security forces say a fifth man is missing and a sixth --- a senior member of the Brigades --- escaped.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to keep the Flotilla issue alive (and perhaps to make political capital from it?), Tehran is now saying that two aid ships of Iran’s Red Crescent will set sail with food, medicine, and appliances for Gaza in the near future. Iranian doctors and relief workers will be on board.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had announced earlier that it would provide naval escorts for any ships trying to reach Gaza, an offer rejected by Hamas.

Meanwhile….

An Israeli Parliamentary Committee has recommended, by a 7-1 vote, that Knesset member Haneen Zoabi should be stripped of special privileges to go abroad, the right to carry a diplomatic passport, and the right to have the state cover litigation fees incurred while serving in the Knesset.

A battle of words and videos continues over Ken O’Keefe, one of five passengers on the Mavi Marmara accused by Israel of having links to “terrorist organisations”.

An injured O’Keefe appeared in a video claiming that Israelis were aggressors during the Monday attack and that passengers seized weapons to stop the killing.  He has also been interviewed by Al Jazeera about his relationship with Palestinian groups.

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (6 June): Israel Blames "Islamist Mercenaries"

2030 GMT: Turkey's minister of energy and natural resources, Taner Yildiz, has announced that there will be no new energy or water projects with Israel until relations between the two countries improve: "At a time when we are focused on the humanitarian aspects of what Israel did, we can't talk about commercial and economic matters. We won't start any project with Israel until relations with them have been normalized."

NEW Gaza Flotilla: Israel "Passengers Linked to Hamas, Al Qa'eda, Terrorist Organisations"
Turkey Inside Line: Erdogan Roars at Israel, Extends His Hand to Iraqi Kurdistan
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (5 June): Israel Forces Board the Rachel Corrie

1920 GMT: A group of senior Israel Navy officers have publicly called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to establish an independent and external commission of inquiry to investigate the Mavi Marmara raid: "We believe that the operation ended in a disaster on a military and diplomatic level," the reserve officers who served as commanders of Navy ships wrote in the letter.


1845 GMT: We have posted, in a separate entry, the dramatic press release from the Israeli military that five of the passengers of the Mavi Marmara are linked to Hamas, Al Qa'eda, and other "terrorist organisations".

1815 GMT: This Should Be Interesting. Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, not noted for diplomatic subtlety, is reportedly planning to meet "with envoys and representatives of Israel, and Jewish communities in the US and Canada, to explain the Israeli government's position on the flotilla affair".

There are no indications Lieberman will meet US Government or UN officials during the trip.

1650 GMT: It appears that, contrary to earlier reports (1105 GMT), Israel will reject the UN's proposal of an international enquiry into the attack on the Mavi Marmara. Michael Oren, Israel's Ambassador to the US, has told Fox News, "We are rejecting an international commission. We are discussing with the Obama administration a way in which our inquiry will take place."

Mark Regev, the Israeli Government's primary spokesman, has just repeated the line on CNN.

1639 GMT: The Battle of the Photographs. We noted in our initial update (1045 GMT) that defenders of the Israeli military action have been circulating a photograph, taken from the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, that they claim shows passengers attacking an injured Israeli soldier.

Defenders of the Flotilla are now pointing out that the one picture is out of context: the full set of nine photographs from Hurriyet, Turkish newspapers, and other sources show the Flotilla's activists caring for Israeli troops (see inset photograph).

1635 GMT: The Free Gaza Movement reports that the five Irish passengers from the Rachel Corrie have been deported and will return to Ireland tomorrow.

1615 GMT: Israel has deported eight Flotilla activists to Jordan. Seven are from the Rachel Corrie; the eighth is an Indonesian who was injured in the attack on the Mavi Marmara.

No word on the other passengers of the Rachel Corrie.

1545 GMT: Blame Turkey, An illuminating clash in approach between two of America's largest newspapers: while The New York Times has an analysis noting the re-assessment amongst some US insiders of the relationship with Israel, The Washington Post's editorial team directs its fire at Ankara:

Western governments have been right to be concerned about Israel's poor judgment and botched execution in the raid against the Free Gaza flotilla. But they ought to be at least as worried about the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which since Monday has shown a sympathy toward Islamic militants and a penchant for grotesque demagoguery toward Israel that ought to be unacceptable for a member of NATO.

1230 GMT: Eyewitness Testimony. Journalist Abbas Al Lawati, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara, has posted the third part of his account, focusing on his interrogation by Israeli authorities.

1210 GMT: Israeli Foreign Ministry officials have said that West Jerusalem not apologize to Turkey for the deaths of eight Turkish and 1 Turkish-American activists on the Mavi Marmara.

A "top official"laimed that the Turkish demand for an official apology was mainly an excuse to allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.

The Foreign Ministry officials said they were surprised by the request for an apology from Turkey's Ambassador to the US, Namik Tan, who "was known to be a supporter of Israel".

(Hmm.... If a "supporter of Israel" is calling for the apology, I would think that Israeli officials might consider how serious the diplomatic situation has become.)

1130 GMT: The New Israeli Line. Speaking at the opening of a Cabinet meeting,Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced, ""Evidence shows separate group of violent Islamists boarded flotilla....[They] boarded the ship at a separate port, did their own provisioning, and were not subject to the same security check of their luggage as all the other passengers.”

The Israeli Defense Forces are briefing the press that a group of about 50 men of the 700 on board the Mavi Marmara were trained fighters recruited from the northwestern Turkey city of Bursa. None had ID cards or passports; each carried an envelope with $10,000 in cash.

1105 GMT: Ha'aretz reports that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has given Israel a proposal for an international committee of inquiry into the raid on the Mavi Marmara. The newspaper says that senior Israeli officials are recommending a positive response because Turkey will probably oppose it.

The committee would be headed by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, an expert on maritime law, and include representatives from the US, Turkey, and Israel. Ban made the proposal in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

1045 GMT: The immediate tragedy and dramas of two Israeli boardings of Freedom Flotilla ships may be over, but there is still a lot of uncertainty and political tension about today.

Israel's official line is that most of the activists from the MV Rachel Corrie, the ship seized by the Israeli military yesterday and towed to Israel's port of Ashdod, will be deported.

The Free Gaza Movement, however, says, "Nothing from the kidnapped passengers. [Nobel Prize laureate] Mairead [Corrigan]'s husband said no contact with her. Israel refuses to allow lawyers to talk to them."

The battle of words and pictures also continues. There are claims that Israel altered the audio on supposed communications with the Mavi Marmara (see Friday's updates for the Israeli version of the exchange), the ship attacked on Monday, to create the impression of passengers shouting insults such as "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz".

And discussion is heating up over photographs in Hurriyet,  the Turkish newspaper, showing an injured Israeli commando surrounded by passengers of the Mavi Marmara.

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]

NEW Turkey Inside Line: Erdogan Roars at Israel, Extends His Hand to Iraqi Kurdistan
Gaza Flotilla: Haaretz’s Gideon Levy “Netanyahu Was Right”
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (4 June): “One Passenger Shot Every Minute”

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.

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (4 June): "One Passenger Shot Every Minute"

2010 GMT: Gaza Under Siege reports that the MV Rachel Corrie is 80 miles from the coast.

1745 GMT: Information or Desperation? Israel Defense Forces have released an extract from claimed communication between the Israeli navy and the Freedom Flotilla. Flotilla passengers allegedly respond to calls to observe the blockade, "Shut up, go back to Auschwitz" and "We're helping Arabs go against the US. Don't forget 9-11, guys."

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

NEW Gaza Flotilla: Haaretz’s Gideon Levy “Netanyahu Was Right”
Turkey Inside Line: Parliament, President, and People Condemn Israel
Gaza Flotilla Analysis: US Official Position “My Israel, Right or Wrong” (Yenidunya)
Gaza Flotilla Video: Netanyahu’s Speech “Iran’s Master Plan and the Hate Boat” (2 June)
Gaza Flotilla Video: Member of Israel Parliament Accused of Supporting “Terrorists”
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows

1740 GMT: An Israeli Move to Avoid Confrontation? Israel's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement about the sailing of the MV Rachel Corrie for Gaza, "We have no desire for a confrontation. We have no desire to board the ship. If the ship decides to sail the port of Ashdod, then we will ensure its safe arrival and will not board it.


"Israel is prepared to receive the ship and to offload its contents. After an inspection to ensure that no weapons and war materials are on board, we are prepared to deliver all of the goods to Gaza. Representative of the people on board and relevant NGOs are welcome to accompany the goods to the crossings."

1720 GMT: The Committee to Protect Journalists has denounced Israel's editing and distribution of footage confiscated from foreign journalists aboard the Flotilla in support of West Jerusalem's public-relations effort.

Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, said: "Israel has confiscated journalistic material and then manipulated it to serve its interests. It must cease this practice without delay, and return all property seized from journalists who were covering this legitimate news event."

1716 GMT: Witness Testimony. Ismail Patel of Britain,a passenger on the Mavi Marmara has claimed Israeli commandos had a "shoot to kill" policy: "We now can calculate that they shot one person every minute. One person was shot every minute. There were nine fatalities, over 48 people with gunshot wounds, six are unaccounted for."

Patel, echoing other accounts, said the initial assault was mounted from the water, with sound bombs, tear gas and stun grenades fired against the Mavi Marmara, but people on the vessel threw items overboard to repel the attack. Then an Israeli helicopter appeared overhead "and started using immediately live ammunition" without any warning being issued. After the first victim fell the white flag was raised,but Israeli forces continued firing and soldiers rappelled to the deck on ropes.

Patel said he used the ship's public address system, "I spoke in English very calmly and said 'we are only civilians, we surrender' and requested my colleagues to sit down in their chairs, put their hands and legs on the tables and not to make any movement....Despite our repeated calls the firing continued."."

1230 GMT: Israel Keeps Pressing Its Line. The latest spin from the Israeli military is that a "navy investigation" has found "some passengers tried to take captive three commandos who lost consciousness as a result of the activists' blows".

The Israelis may have to maintain their effort --- even CNN, far from hostile to West Jerusalem's publicity, is now featuring the story that the nine slain passengers were shot, five of them in the head, by Israeli commandos.

1225 GMT: The Free Gaza Movement writes that the MV Rachel Corrie is 150 miles from the coast and should arrive Saturday morning. Passengers include Nobel Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday, barrister Matthias Chang Wen Chieh, and Malaysian MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria. There is also a three-member camera crew from Malaysia TV3.

1215 GMT: Turkey has repeated its warning that it may reduce economic and defence ties with Israel. Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said Ankara was "assessing deals" with West Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, an interesting article in The Washington Post on (Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), the Turkish group that financed the Flotilla.

0615 GMT: As the furuor and politics over Monday's attack on the Freedom Flotilla continues, a second act may loom. After stopping in Crete to upgrade video and satellite equipment, the merchant vessel MV Rachel Corrie is heading for Gaza. The ship, which was unable to join the main flotilla earlier this week, has aid and 11 prominent activists, including former Assistant UN Secretary-General Denis Halliday.

Halliday declared, "We have not stopped and have no intention of stopping. We will only stop when Israelis force us to do so."

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows

2105 GMT: Details have been released about Furkan Dogan, the Turkish-American killed in the Israeli attack.

Dogan, 19, was born in Troy, New York, but his family moved to Turkey when he was 2. He was a high school student at Kayseri in the centre of the country.

Dogan was shot five times at close range --- four bullets in the head and one in the chest.

NEW Turkey Inside Line: Parliament, President, and People Condemn Israel
NEW Gaza Flotilla Analysis: US Official Position “My Israel, Right or Wrong” (Yenidunya)
NEW Gaza Flotilla Video: Netanyahu’s Speech “Iran’s Master Plan and the Hate Boat” (2 June)
NEW Gaza Flotilla Video: Member of Israel Parliament Accused of Supporting “Terrorists”
Gaza Flotilla: A Legal Opinion “The Occupying Power Had to Facilitate the Passage”
Gaza Flotilla Video & Transcript: Hillary Clinton’s Statement (1 June)
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog: Limiting an Enquiry, Maintaining a Blockade? (2 June)

1805 GMT: More Testimony. Briton Sarah Colborne, the director of campaigns and operations at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has given an account of the attack on the Mavi Marmara that complements the testimony of other passengers (see 1435 GMT).


Colborne, like others, said Israeli firing began before commandos boarded the ship: "There was live ammunition flying around and I could hear the sounds of the bullets flying and the whirr of the helicopter blades as people were dropped down onto the roof. What I saw was guns being used by the Israelis on unarmed civilians. I saw a bullet wound in someone's head. It was very clear it was live ammunition." She also said that the Israelis ignored white flags, calls for surrenders, and pleas to treat the critically injured.

1750 GMT: We've published a special feature on the changing Turkish position on Israel in the aftermath of the attack on the Freedom Flotilla.

1745 GMT: Netanyahu Compromising? Despite his most uncompromising speech yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a modified policy on the blockade of Gaza, according to Aluf Benn of Ha'aretz:

Netanyahu is willing to consider easing the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, as well as possible creative solutions for monitoring the goods that are allowed to enter the Hamas-ruled territory. According to Netanyahu, the siege should focus on preventing the smuggling of rockets and weapons in order to avoid what he termed an "Iranian port in Gaza" in a speech he gave in Canada on Monday.

1525 GMT: The US Position. We've published an analysis by Ali Yenidunya of Washington's political manoeuvres, "My Israel, Right or Wrong".

Meanwhile, in the Cover Your Back Department, The Washington Post reports:

The Obama administration said Wednesday that it had warned Israel's government repeatedly to use "caution and restraint" with half a dozen aid boats bound for the Gaza Strip before Israeli commandos raided the flotilla this week in an operation that killed nine people.

"We communicated with Israel through multiple channels many times regarding the flotilla," P.J. Crowley, a State Department spokesman, said...."We emphasized caution and restraint given the anticipated presence of civilians, including American citizens."

1445 GMT: Max Blumenthal reveals how Israel Defense Forces, when pressed for evidence, retracted a headline linking Flotilla passengers to Al Qa'eda.

Deputy Foreign Danny Ayalon had made the claim of a link in his press conference on Tuesday, the day after the Israeli attack.

1435 GMT: More Testimonies. Hassan Ghani of Iran's Press TV, who was on board the Mavi Marmara when it was attacked, has given his account of the assault and his detention in Israel.

Canadian Farooq Burney, who runs a Qatari educational initiative, says an elderly man was shot and bled to death. He claimed Israeli commandos waited more than an hour before treating the wounded, even though activists made a makeshift sign reading: "S.O.S. .. Please provide medical assistance".

Burney also claimed activists who snatched pistols from the commandos removed the cartridges and threw them away, contradicting Israeli assertions that passengers used weapons.

1100 GMT: Edward Peck, a former US Ambassador who was on the Freedom Flotilla, in a wide-ranging, provocative interview on Democracy Now!:

Gaza does not belong to Israel. It is illegally occupied by international law, so you can’t really stop ships from going there. Well, you can, and they did, but if people try to resist what you’re trying to do, you cannot really accuse them of attacking your heavily armed soldiers. And they [the commandos] were heavily armed. On our little boat, a couple of them had paint guns attached to their submachine guns, along with stun grenades and the pepper spray and the handcuffs and the pistols....

I was expelled from Israel]. I was deported for having violated Israeli law. And I said to the gentleman, "What law have I violated?" He said, "You have illegally entered Israel." I said, "Well, now, wait. Our ship was taken over by armed commandos. I was brought here at gunpoint against my will, and you call that illegally entering Israel? You and I went to different law schools, guy." It’s kind of a --- it’s a fiasco. It would be amusing if it weren’t so damned sad, because, unfortunately --- and I speak with total sincerity here --- I think Israel has done itself some serious damage. And in addition to just what they did, it was the way they did it and the way they’re presenting it. Nobody regrets what happened on the Israeli side, because those were all terrorists, you know, violating our laws. Guys, get a grip. This isn’t going to work.

1040 GMT: When Did the Israelis Shoot? Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, who was reporting from the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship of the Flotilla, said he witnessed some of the killings and at least "one person was shot through the top of the head from [the helicopter] above".

Significantly, Elshayyal says the Israelis fired first and before any commandos boarded: within a few minutes of seeing the Israeli helicopters, shots were fired from above and from Israeli boat at seas: "The first shots were tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets. Live shots came five minutes after that. There was definitely live fire from the air and from the sea as well."

He confirmed that some passengers took apart some of the ship's railing bars to defend themselves as they saw the Israeli soldiers approaching. He added, however, "After the shooting and the first deaths, people put up white flags and signs in English and Hebrew. An Israeli [on the ship] asked the soldiers to take away the injured, but they did not and the injured died on the ship."

1030 GMT:  Eight of the nine slain passengers were Turkish. Four names have been released: İbrahim Bilgen, Ali Haydar Bengi, Ali Ekber Yaratılmış, and Muharrem Koçak. Funerals are being held in Turkey today.

The ninth fatality was an American of Turkish origin.

0745 GMT: The flurry of political statements around Monday's attack on the Freedom Flotilla and the Israeli blockade of Gaza continues.

We've posted a video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defence of the assault, based on a link between the Flotilla and alleged Iranian schemes, including a plan for a militarised port in Gaza.

Within Israel, however, there has been dissent over the military operation. We have posted video of the clash in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, between Haneen Zoabi, who was on board the Flotilla, and legislators who claimed she supported "terrorists".

And on the international front, the Israeli Government is facing more pressure, even from allies. The British Government's denunciations of the attack and call for an alternative to the blockade--- noted in our updates yesterday --- have been followed this morning by American signals. Using Ethan Bronner of The New York Times, US officials put out the message:

The Obama administration considers Israel’s blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel’s security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area....The officials say that Israel’s deadly attack on a flotilla trying to break the siege and the resulting international condemnation create a new opportunity to push for increased engagement with the Palestinian Authority and a less harsh policy toward Gaza.

The Jerusalem Post adds that Washington has suggested that Israel establish an inquiry team led by an internationally-recognized judge and including an American representative.

Janine Zacharia of The Washington Post, in a sharp break from US coverage which has often featured defences by Israeli officials, takes readers inside Gaza:

The ill-fated aid flotilla bound for Gaza this week bore food, medicine and toys.

What it didn't have on board were the things that Gazans say they need most: jobs, reliable electricity and a ticket out.

It has been five years since Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers from the coastal strip, and largely closed Gaza off from the world. Israel's critics say what's left is a devastated land in need of emergency assistance. Israeli officials insist Gaza's people are getting what they need to live. Neither narrative reflects the complex and dysfunctional way of life that has emerged here.