israel attacks gaza bound aid flotilla.

[dum]

http://www.google.ie/search?q=israel+at ... =firefox-a

Statement from the Turkish foreign ministry

The interception on the convoy is unacceptable ... Israel will have to bear the consequences of its actions.

We strongly condemn it and await an immediate explanation.

By targeting innocent civilians, Israel has once again clearly displayed that does not value human lives and peaceful initiatives.

We forcefully condemn these inhumane activities by Israel.

The incident that occurred in open sea which is a gross breach of international law, could cause irrevocable consequences for our relations.

We wish to express our condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased, and swift recovery to the wounded.

Ismail Haniya, Hamas leader in Gaza

The government of Hamas call on Palestinians to carry out a total strike in Gaza and West Bank to show solidarity and protest the Israeli crimes.

We request emergency session for the UN Security Council, Arab League and Islamic Conference and we demand the Palestinian Authority to stop all forms of negotiations.

The government decided to grant those on board Freedom ships the medal of honour.

We appeal to the UN to withdraw from the Quartet.

The government has decided to name the May 31 "the freedom day". We demand the Arab League to carry out all decisions to stop the siege of Gaza.

We say to those heroes that the essence of your honourable blood has reached us before the aids you are carrying to us.

We salute everyone on board the Freedom ships.

Salam Fayad, Palestinian prime minister

Israel went beyond all that could be expected.

This [attack] is a transgression against all international covenants and norms and it must be confronted by all international forums.

Statement from the Palestinian presidency

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemns the crime perpetrated by the occupation authorities against international solidarity activists aboard the Freedom Flotilla.

The Palestinian leadership is closely following the developments and the President calls on the United Nations to confront Israel, which is disregarding all international laws and norms.

The attack on the Flotilla is an attack against humanity.

This incident will have grave consequences in the region and the world.

Statement from the Arab League

Secretary General Amr Moussa has called for an emergency meeting at the League's headquarters in Cairo on June 1.

The attack clearly shows Israel's aggressive nature and its disrespect to international and humanitarian rules and laws.

We call on the international community to take immediate steps against Israel, a rogue state that practices all forms of terrorism and piracy, and instigates tension and instability in the region and in the middle of the Mediterranean sea.
Saad Hariri, Lebanese prime minister

The Israeli attack on the aid convoy is a dangerous and crazy step that will exacerbate tensions in the region.

Lebanon firmly denounces this attack and calls on the international community, notably major powers ... to take action in order to end this continued violation of human rights and threat to international peace.

Spokesperson for EU's foreign policy chief

High Representative Catherine Ashton expresses her deep regret at the news of loss of life and violence and extends her sympathies to families of the dead and wounded.

On behalf of the European Union she demands a full enquiry about the circumstances in which this happened.

The continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counter-productive. She calls for an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of the crossing for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister

I am deeply concerned about the events last night in the waters off Gaza ... These are disconcerting initial reports.

The foreign ministry is now working to establish the full facts of what happened.
Diego Lopez Garrido, Spain's secretary of state for EU affairs

The Israeli storming of a flotilla of activist ships heading for Gaza is unacceptable and very serious event.

We have have summoned the Israeli ambassador [to Spain] to give us explanations and, of course, we will investigate and will start handling this matter immediately.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian president

[The attack was an] inhuman Zionist regime action against Gazans.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Emir of Qatar

The Israeli act of piracy against Arab and foreign activists who tried to break an non humanitarian unjust siege imposed on our fellow citizens in Gaza Strip, for no reason but they exercised their democratic right of choice.

The crimes purportrated this morning against the civilians supporting the Palestinians remind us of the unjust siege the open bleeding wound in the Strip; and all those who preach freedom, justice and democracy are required now to move and act to break this siege so the bloods of those free men do not go down the drains.

This is also message addressed to the Arab states who were brought to the moment of justice by those free men on board.

Micheal Martin, Irish foreign affairs minister

I am gravely concerned at the reports emerging of the storming of a Turkish ship this morning by Israeli commandos.

My department is seeking to establish the full facts of what has occurred and confirm the safety of the eight Irish nationals who sailed with the
Turkish-led flotilla.

The reports of up to 15 people killed and 50 injured, if confirmed, would constitute a totally unacceptable response by the Israeli military to what was a humanitarian mission attempting to deliver much needed supplies to the people of Gaza.

Statement from Britain's Stop The War Coalition

The action should see Israel condemned under international law.

Israel has repeatedly flouted law and public opinion worldwide in its treatment of the Palestinians.

The decision by Israel to attack the flotilla with such loss of human life shows it is arrogant and deadly intent in opposing any aid to the Palestinians.

Navi Pillay, UN high commissioner for human rights

I am shocked by reports that humanitarian aid was met with violence early this morning reportedly causing death and injury as the boat convoy approached the Gaza coast.

The blockade keeps undermining human rights on a daily basis.

The current situation falls far short of what is necessary for the population to lead normal and dignified lives.

I condemn once again the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel.

Franco Frattini, Italian foreign minister

Italy deplores the loss of civilian life in Israel's raid on a flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza.

Statement from the UN Relief and Works Agency

We are shocked by reports of killings and injuries of people on board boats carrying supplies for Gaza, apparently in international waters.

Such tragedies are entirely avoidable if Israel heeds the repeated calls of the international community to end its counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza.

William Hague, British foreign secretary

I deplore the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza Flotilla. Our embassy is in urgent contact with the Israeli government. We are asking for more information and urgent access to any UK nationals involved.

We have consistently advised against attempting to access Gaza in this way, because of the risks involved. But at the same time, there is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations. It will be important to establish the facts about this incident, and especially whether enough was done to prevent deaths and injuries.

This news underlines the need to lift the restrictions on access to Gaza, in line with UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1860. The closure is unacceptable and counter-productive.

There can be no better response from the international community to this tragedy than to achieve urgently a durable resolution to the Gaza crisis.

I call on the government of Israel to open the crossings to allow unfettered access for aid to Gaza, and address the serious concerns about the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situation and about the effect on a generation of young Palestinians.

[LoopStationZebra]

shocking?

[dum]

yes, but unfortunately not surprising

[LoopStationZebra]

Not even shocking. Business as usual for the Israeli leadership/military.

And were the aid leaders/ship captains incredibly brave or shockingly stupid? What the fuck did they think was going to happen? Or did they calculate that this is exactly what was going to happen?

[macmurphy]

it's about time someone did something about israel. i don't know what or by whom, but something..

[3dot...]

this is a disgrace...
for what it's worth .. everyone I know is appalled by this tragedy...
around the clock news coverage all day...
the nature of this 'humanitarian aid' was povocotive in nature.. but there was not any need for the deaths that occurred ..
and the soldiers should not have been put in that situation
as I said before.. numerous times..our decision makers are fools..(but the situation here is not a simple one)
this kind of violence could and should have been avoided

I bow my head to the people that died
and pray for peace in the Middle East and freedom to all who need it

[djsynchro]

You forgot:

The White House said the US "deeply regrets the loss of life" and was "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".

[Bagatell]

this is a disgrace...
for what it's worth .. everyone I know is appalled by this tragedy...
around the clock news coverage all day...
the nature of this 'humanitarian aid' was povocotive in nature.. but there was not any need for the deaths that occurred ..
and the soldiers should not have been put in that situation
as I said before.. numerous times..our decision makers are fools..(but the situation here is not a simple one)
this kind of violence could and should have been avoided

I bow my head to the people that died
and pray for peace in the Middle East and freedom to all who need it

Amen

[macmurphy]

well said 3dot.

[smutek]

You forgot:

The White House said the US "deeply regrets the loss of life" and was "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy".

Yes, it appears we are taking our usual hard line against Israel.

[sporkles]

International society condemns Israeli actions.

And now, in sports:

[Machinesworking]

Not even shocking. Business as usual for the Israeli leadership/military.

And were the aid leaders/ship captains incredibly brave or shockingly stupid? What the fuck did they think was going to happen? Or did they calculate that this is exactly what was going to happen?

Someone here I'm sure can correct me if I'm mistaken, but this is basically my understanding at this time.

IDF forces routinely turn back medical and food supplies into the Gaza strip, the idea being that too much help would make Hamas look good in their warped minds, so it's not too uncommon for relief aid to be 'smuggled' in (the tunnels under the fences etc.) which of course allows the IDF to assume that it's possibly missiles and other arms being smuggled in. I'm sure the soldiers were all told it was quite possible that they might land on ships with armed combatants, so when the aid workers were angry they assumed the worst.

This is getting stupid though, which is actually a good thing, because it's becoming even harder for the actions of the IDF against basic human rights in the Gaza to be hidden behind fear of Hamas and other more militant factions of the people there. Thing is the UN aren't completely allowed in, and most of us still don't have an idea of how much exactly the IDF/government is turning back legitimate aid.

I mean I can dream right? but it seems a little like reading about the end of the British empire, where they looked exactly like the thugs they had been.

[LoopStationZebra]

where they looked exactly like the thugs they had been.

THIS.

The Right Wing spin doctors will no doubt place Nukes/Dirty Bombs on board the convoy ships by the end of the day ("we had it on good authority", "a reliable source*whowaswaterboarded*ahem*", "a tip", but even they are going to have a tough time explaining this away.

Still....still.....Aid ships. Hmm. Would have been better to coordinate the convoy with any number of 'sympathetic' Western and Middle Eastern nations and let them fly their standards for all to see as the IDF races in for the kill.

Also, would have then been interesting to see just how committed and 'sympathetic' those nations were beyond just soundbytes carefully prepared by one of the staff.

[Machinesworking]

Still....still.....Aid ships. Hmm. Would have been better to coordinate the convoy with any number of 'sympathetic' Western and Middle Eastern nations and let them fly their standards for all to see as the IDF races in for the kill.

I'm pretty certain that the US and the the UK would both flip out if that happened. As a consumer of mass amounts of imported product, the US is an economic threat to countries that side against Israel in any meaningful way. As it stands any action against Israeli policy by the west is going to be from private parties.

[Machinesworking]

The IDF as expected have released videos of figures attacking soldiers, two different ones, and not a single headshot of course... just saying.
Great article on the whole thing here:

http://www.uscatholic.org/blog/2010/05/ ... vi-marmara

Ultimately however deciding which side did what on the deck of the Mavi Marmara at 4:30 a.m. hardly matters. The responsibility for this debacle begins and ends with the senior IDF military who "planned" the early morning assault and the political leadership that OKed the operation. It's hard to believe that the humanitarian flotilla could have not been deterred or otherwise handled without recourse to a predawn helicopter raid in international waters.