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Line 20: The '''Gaza flotilla raid''' was a military operation by Israel against [[Ships of Gaza flotilla raid|six civilian ships]] of the "[[Gaza Freedom Flotilla]]" on 31 May 2010 in [[international waters]] in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine activists were killed during the raid, with thirty wounded (including one who later died of his wounds).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chebil |first1=Medhi |title=Repatriated flotilla activists challenge Israeli version of deadly raid |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20100601-repatriated-flotilla-activists-challenge-israeli-version-deadly-raid-israel-gaza |website=France24.com |date=June 2010 |publisher=France 24 |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Booth |first1=Robert |title=Gaza flotilla activists were shot in head at close range |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-activists-autopsy-results |website=The Guardian |date=4 June 2010}}</ref> Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously. The exact sequence of events is contested, in part due to the IDF's confiscation of the passengers' photographic evidence.<ref>Finkelstein, N. (2021). Gaza: An Inquest Into Its Martyrdom. United States: University of California Press. pp. 146 "The only witnesses able to contest the official Israeli account had been impris- oned and their photographic evidence confiscated."</ref> The [[flotilla]], organized by the [[Free Gaza Movement]] and the Turkish [[IHH (Turkish NGO)|Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH)]], was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli [[2007–present blockade of the Gaza Strip|blockade of the Gaza Strip]]. The Israeli Navy warned the flotilla via radio to stop approaching the naval blockade and to change course to the [[port of Ashdod]]. This request was denied and on 31 May 2010, Israeli [[Shayetet 13]] naval commandos boarded the ships in international waters from speedboats{{sfn|UN Palmer Report|2011|p=19}} and helicopters. Aboard the Turkish ship [[MV Mavi Marmara|MV ''Mavi Marmara'']], the Israeli Navy faced resistance from about 40 of the 590 passengers, including IHH activists – described by the Israeli [[Turkel Commission]] as a separate "hardcore group"<ref name="Guardian 2-6-10">{{cite news |last=Sherwood |first=Harriet |date=2 June 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/02/flotilla-raid-turkish-jihadis-troops-israel-claims |title= Flotilla raid: Turkish jihadis bent on violence attacked troops, Israel claims |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=23 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="hardcore"/> – who were said to be armed with iron bars and knives.{{Sfn|UN Palmer Report|2011|pp=54–61}} According to a UN report, all activist deaths were caused by gunshots, and "the circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution."<ref name="www2.ohchr.org">{{cite web |title= Report of the international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, resulting from the Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance |publisher=United Nations General Assembly Human Rights Council |date=27 September 2010 |url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf |access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Robert Booth |author2=Harriet Sherwood |author3=Justin Vela |title=Gaza flotilla attack: Autopsies reveal intensity of Israeli military force |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 June 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/04/gaza-flotilla-attack-autopsy-results |access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref> The five other ships in the flotilla employed [[passive resistance]], which was suppressed without major incident. According to the UN report, several of the passengers were injured and the leg of one was fractured.<ref name="www2.ohchr.org" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Gaza flotilla raid: 'We heard gunfire – then our ship turned into lake of blood' |author=Robert Booth |author2=Kate Connolly |author3=Tom Philips |author4=Helena Smith |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 June 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/02/gaza-flotilla-raid-gunfire-ship-blood |access-date=1 June 2014}}</ref> The ships were towed to Israel. Some passengers were deported immediately, while about 600 were detained after they refused to sign deportation orders; a few of them were slated for prosecution. After international criticism, all of the detained activists were also deported.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kosharek|first1=Noah|last2=DPA|last3=Ravid|first3=Barak|last4=Kyzer|first4=Liel|title=Israel transfers hundreds of Gaza flotilla activists to airport for deportation|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-transfers-hundreds-of-gaza-flotilla-activists-to-airport-for-deportation-1.293634|work=Haaretz|agency=Associated Press|date=1 June 2010|quote="The decision to deport the hundreds of foreign activists was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided late Tuesday, in the face of mounting world criticism of Monday's assault"}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Gaza flotilla activists back in Turkey|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/gaza-flotilla-activists-back-in-turkey-1.933602|access-date=26 August 2014|publisher=CBC News|date=3 June 2010|quote=""Israel had said it will not prosecute dozens of activists detained in the raid, opting instead to deport them all immediately in an apparent effort to limit the diplomatic damage from the raid."}}</ref> Line 120: The boarding of the ''[[MV Mavi Marmara|Mavi Marmara]]'' started in the early morning at 4:30 [[Israel Standard Time|IST]]. The operation began with an attempt to board the ship from speedboats. As the boats approached, activists fired water hoses at them and pelted them with a variety of objects. The Israelis replied with paintballs and stun grenades. One stun grenade was picked up and tossed back into a boat. When the commandos tried boarding the ship, activists cut the ladders with electric disc saws. The boats then turned slightly away from the ship, but remained close.<ref name="DeathInTheMed"/> The IDF then sent in a [[Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk#Israel|Black Hawk helicopter]] with a 15-man assault team on board.<ref name="DeathInTheMed"/><ref name="BBC_Shoukri">{{Cite news |title=Israeli PM 'regrets' deaths as troops storm aid ships |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10199480.stm |publisher=BBC | date=31 May 2010}}</ref> According to the IDF, the commandos fired warning shots and dropped stun grenades prior to [[abseil]]ing onto the ship.<ref>{{cite news |last=Katz |first=Yaakov |date=4 June 2010 |title=We had no choice |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177445 |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=1 July 2011}}</ref> The UNHRC report on the incident concluded that the Israeli soldiers were firing live rounds from the helicopter before they landed anyone on the ship.{{Sfn|UNHRC report|2010|p=26}} According to flotilla organizer [[Greta Berlin]], who was not aboard the ship, the Israeli soldiers did not start firing until an activist seized a gun from one of them.<ref name="TOI 201803">{{cite web | last=Philpot | first=Robert | title=Free Gaza spox admits activist initiated fatal 2010 violence aboard Mavi Marmara | website=The Times of Israel | date=2018-03-13 | url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/free-gaza-spox-admits-activist-initiated-fatal-2010-violence-aboard-mavi-marmara/ | access-date=2018-03-14}}</ref> Passengers reported gunfire, blue flares and deafening noise from the first helicopter at this time.<ref name="detailsem">{{Cite news |last=Friedman |first=Matti |date=2 June 2010 |title=Details emerge of bloodshed aboard Gaza-bound ship |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100602/ml-israel-raid-reconstruction/ |newspaper=HuffPost|agency=Associated Press |access-date=9 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="GuardianZoubi">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10208027 |work=BBC News |title=Witnesses cast doubt on Israel's convoy raid account |date=1 June 2010}}</ref> [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] journalist [[Jamal Elshayyal]] stated that he saw one man shot in the head and others wounded.<ref name="aljazeera-20100603"/> Robert Mackey of ''[[The New York Times]]'' suggested that the passengers on the ship may have mistaken flash grenades and paintball guns for deadly weapons, which enraged them.<ref name="NYT Mock">{{Cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |work=The New York Times |title=Israelis Explain, and Mock, Flotilla Clash |date=4 June 2010 |url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/israelis-explain-and-mock-flotilla-clash/|access-date=8 June 2010}}</ref> Activists and crew members used [[gas mask]]s.<ref group="text">{{cite web |last=Yağcı |first=Cahide Hayrunnisa |date=1 June 2010 |url=http://www.timeturk.com/israil-yaralilara-mudaheleye-izin-vermedi_127607-haberi.html |title=İsrail yaralılara müdaheleye izin vermedi! |language=tr |trans-title=Israel did not allow attention to the wounded! |publisher=Timeturk |access-date=4 June 2010 |quote={{lang|tr|O sırada gaz maskelerimizi ve şişme yeleklerimizi takmamızı ilan ettiler.}} [At that moment they announced that we should put on our gas masks and the life jackets.]}}</ref> | |||