Monday
May312010
UPDATED: Gaza Flotilla Attack: Israel Line "We Are Sorry but It Was a Life-Threatening Situation!"
Monday, May 31, 2010 at 15:54
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYjkLUcbJWo[/youtube]
Today, Israel's Opposition leader Tzipi Livni was giving an interview to ABC Australia. She said: These soldiers are our children. Since they were under attack by these activists, they needed to react in order to defend themselves."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NcWY7DhDNk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
Israeli Defense Forces and politicians said that they warned the ships of the Freedom Flotilla to follow the Israeli navy until the Ashdod port. The response they got was: "Negative, our destination is Gaza".
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jDIQr59Sk&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]
Then Israeli officials produced helicopter videos allegedly showing civilians using metal objects against and throwing firebombs and stun grenades to Israeli commandos. Israel Defense Forces said its rules of engagement allowed troops to open fire in what it called a "life-threatening situation". The IDF also confirmed that at least eight navy commandos had been wounded, at least two of them seriously.
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said: "The organisers' intent was violent, method was violent and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MdrVw_gezs[/youtube]
Today, Israel's Opposition leader Tzipi Livni was giving an interview to ABC Australia. She said: These soldiers are our children. Since they were under attack by these activists, they needed to react in order to defend themselves."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NcWY7DhDNk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
Israeli Defense Forces and politicians said that they warned the ships of the Freedom Flotilla to follow the Israeli navy until the Ashdod port. The response they got was: "Negative, our destination is Gaza".
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jDIQr59Sk&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]
Then Israeli officials produced helicopter videos allegedly showing civilians using metal objects against and throwing firebombs and stun grenades to Israeli commandos. Israel Defense Forces said its rules of engagement allowed troops to open fire in what it called a "life-threatening situation". The IDF also confirmed that at least eight navy commandos had been wounded, at least two of them seriously.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU12KW-XyZE[/youtube]
Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said: "The organisers' intent was violent, method was violent and the results were unfortunately violent. Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome."
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MdrVw_gezs[/youtube]
Reader Comments (13)
[...] Click here to view the embedded video. [...]
Ali,
It just beggers belief that the IDF went onto the ships with live ammo. They had to of realized there were Hamas activists on board and the only result was going to be a confrontation. As much as I hate the politicization this will get in face of much larger humanitarian issues(ie Darfur) Israel should have known better. Some times things like this should just be left alone regardless if it would set a bad precedent like encouraging more of these convoys. Frankly from a PR standpoint(not trying to diminish the lives tragically lost) Israel would have lost regardless whatever they would have done thus they should have done nothing. Ahh but I guess the world is full of way to many stupid people!!!
Thx
Bill
you dont have respect for the life
CRIMINALS
Ali,
Did you notice on your top video that it shows shots being fired at the end? At least from my perspective thats what it looks like. You'll notice the shape of gun being pointed then people scattering. It also looks like one guy goes down quite hard indicating a bullet.
Thx
Bill
jewish racist bastards
this is beyond disgust. Israel excuses would be funny in a movie - monte python? - but in real life they only add to the nauseating horror of the IDF's nth resort to mass murder
While the operation may have been botched - what exactly did the Israelis do wrong? They came on board to enforce the blockade - something that a number of nations have done in the past (e.g. US for Cuban missile crisis) and were attacked. As a result of the real danger you can see from the videos they gave the order for deadly force to be used to defend themselves. The people that died where not innocent victims but those very people that took part in the violence. I find it very hard to be sympathetic to these people.
No other nation would have done any differently and to call it mass murder is just stupid.
[...] Gaza Flotilla Attack: Israel Line “We Are Sorry but It Was a Life-Threatening Situation!” Gaza Flotilla Video: Questions from Last Report Before Israeli Attack Gaza Video: “If You’re Watching This, The Flotilla Has Been Attacked” Gaza LiveBlog: Israel Forces Attack Freedom Flotilla, Up to 19 Killed [...]
Shooting at unharmed activists is your idea of bravey and killing them with intent to kill of course.Murder is a murder by any other name and even by Israelis (no one can go on they are above international laws).
Of course imprisoning children and sexually abusing in the israeli jails without any avenue for them to complain or seek justice on another side.
Qn is for how long will you and your blind support can justify these Israeli "Nazi" crimes.K
Any worst of all the israeli videos have been edited and altered and serve no truth as part of PR propoganda to make murder as defense.
Jacque2599 : 2 june 6:59 am
I also saw the video or a video from the ship. However, on youtube, it couldn't have been all live because they repeated certain image sequences while the audio continued. It no doubt was edited later.
There are two interesting bits there, several moments you see people with iron bars, and also hitting someone in the background.
There is also the bit with the guy showing the (I've seen later) the document showing people with their photos, that they are saying were hit lists that the soldiers had.
Well, this is something that has to be explained, hit or arrested, we'll never know for sure. But it did mean that there were people that the Israeli intell were either sure were on the boat or suspected.
In fact there is another vid (or sequence), from inside the ship that shows exactly what the Israeli one does, the soldier coming down from the helicopter and others attacking him. So, frankly it's too late to say the vids are only doctored ones from Israel.
For the moment the only thing that I'm not sure about is whether there were real shots before the helicopter landings or paintball shots. News is continuing as I speak as we have the French association organizer on a TV debate here.
One other thing I saw today (I don't know if this is mentioned elsewhere on the blog), which is not pretty either :
http://www.kawther.info/wpr/2010/03/17/jerusalem-under-the-fire-of-death-squads" rel="nofollow">http://www.kawther.info/wpr/2010/03/17/jerusale...
What is striking is the language of hate towards the PA, the 'heroes' and the question of censureship involved here.
sorry it's the message of yesterday (1st june).
"Unharmed" you say? They were only unharmed until the commandos harmed them, and rightly so.
The "peace activists" were armed; you try taking a few knocks to the head from someone brandishing a metal pipe (then again, given the opinions you espouse, it's entirely possible that this has already happened).
The Israelis were the model of restraint. We have seen the videos of soldiers being harassed and ultimately stabbed in the back by a "peace activist" with a machete and yet he doesn't pull for his revolver. An ordinary navy would have sunk any ship trying to cross its blockage. It should not even be called a blockade as supplies continue to flow into Gaza; it is a weapons inspection protocol and it is in support of UN Security Council resolution 1860.