Gaza flotilla raid facts for kids
The Gaza flotilla raid happened on May 31, 2010. It took place in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea. During this event, the Israeli Navy stopped a group of six ships. These ships were part of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" and were carrying people who wanted to help Palestinians.
There were about 663 to 682 activists from 37 different countries on board. They were trying to get through a special rule called the blockade of Gaza. Their goal was to deliver important supplies to people in Gaza. Israel had offered for the ships to land at a different port so the aid could be checked, but the people on the ships said no. Sadly, at least nine people died during this event.
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What is the Gaza Strip?
The Gaza Strip is a small part of Palestine. It is one of the most crowded places on Earth. About 1.5 million people live in an area of only about 493 square kilometers (190 square miles).
The Palestinian National Authority believes this area is under military occupation. They say Israel should leave and give the land back to the Palestinians. Israel has attacked Gaza several times, like in December 2008.
Israel sees things differently. They say they handed over control to Palestinian leaders in 2005 and pulled back their soldiers. Meanwhile, Hamas, a Palestinian group that controls Gaza, has fired rockets at Israel.
Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip after a conflict with another group called Fatah, following elections in 2006. Israel calls Hamas a terrorist group. Egypt also disagreed with Hamas taking over from the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
Israel said the blockade of the Gaza Strip was for safety. They said Hamas and other groups were causing trouble in Gaza and southern Israel. The blockade started in 2007. Many countries, like Egypt, felt bad for Gaza. Some, like Iran, did not like Israel. Others, like the United States, agreed with Israel's actions.
The Ships' Journey
The main ship was a Turkish passenger ship called the MV Mavi Marmara. It was trying to bring aid from Turkey and Cyprus to the Gaza Strip. On May 31, the Israeli Navy found it. The Israeli Navy's special unit, Flotilla 13, was enforcing the blockade, which had been in place for three years.
The Mavi Marmara was about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the Gaza Strip when it was stopped. On board were activists from many countries, including 27 British, 9 Palestinian, 8 Turkish, 2 Irish, 1 Swedish, 1 South African, 1 American, and 1 Albanian.
The Mavi Marmara was followed by the Irish passenger ship MV Rachel Corrie and four other smaller ships. All six ships carried a total of 663 to 682 activists and aid workers. These included people from Turkey, Malaysia, the United States, Australia, and Belgium.
Many well-known people were on the ships. These included Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General, an Israeli-Arab member of the Knesset (Israel's parliament), a Swedish writer, and several politicians from Europe and Arab countries.
What Happened During the Raid
Israel said that five of the ships were taken over peacefully. They claimed that problems only happened on the Mavi Marmara. However, other reports said that people on the other ships were also hurt.
The ships had planned to break through the Gaza blockade. They did not follow Israel's plan for them to stop at the port of Ashdod and send the cargo from there. After the activists ignored many calls to stop, soldiers from the Shayetet 13 unit boarded the ships around 4:00 AM.
The people organizing the convoy, like Arafat Shoukriof from the Free Gaza Movement, disagreed with Israel's story. One organizer said that people on a ship called them to say Israeli helicopters had arrived for a surprise raid.
The MV Mavi Marmara Incident
When soldiers boarded the Mavi Marmara, there were violent fights between the activists and the Israeli soldiers. Both sides have different stories about what happened.
It seems an Israeli helicopter dropped about 30 special soldiers onto the ship. Fighting started for reasons that are still argued about. An Israeli soldier was reportedly thrown off the ship. Some aid workers reportedly threw chairs at the Israelis. The Israelis then used tear gas, tasers, stun grenades, and smoke bombs to try and stop the fighting. Later, gunshots were fired by both sides.
The Israeli military said their troops were suddenly attacked when they climbed down ropes from helicopters. Soldiers were reportedly badly beaten, one was stabbed, and one was thrown into the sea. Two Israelis had their guns taken away. An Israeli commando said there was live gunfire against them from below deck. They used stun grenades and tear gas to try and scatter the activists. When this didn't work, the commandos asked for and received permission to use their firearms. They then shot activists in the legs, which made them scatter. The commandos reached the ship's control room and took over the ship after 30 minutes. Videos from both the Israeli military and Free Gaza activists show some of the fighting.
According to Major Avital Leibovich of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, the activists attacked the soldiers with knives, slingshots, spikes, and clubs. They also said pistols were found by the Israeli troops. Adam Shapiro from the Free Gaza Movement said that reporters on the ship told him the soldiers started shooting right away as they came down the ropes.
The captain's wife, Nilüfer Ören, said the Israeli military started following them when they were 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. She said 40 Israeli ships followed the convoy until soldiers boarded from helicopters at 4:45 AM. She also said stun grenades and smoke bombs were used, so activists and crew members used gas masks. Norman Paech, a former German politician who was on the Mavi Marmara, said he only saw three activists fighting in his part of the boat. He said, "They had no knives, no axes, only sticks that they used to defend themselves."
Reporters for Iranian TV and Al Jazeera TV news reported the use of tear gas and stun grenades. The Israeli soldiers said the activists wore gas masks and ski masks. The United Nations tried not to take sides and did not fully believe either story.
Other Ships Are Stopped
The MV Rachel Corrie gave up and raised a white flag when the Israeli navy boarded it.
On the ship Challenger One, an American activist named Huwaida Arraf said Israeli soldiers attacked anyone who tried to stop them from taking over the ship. She said they used kicks, tasers, and stun grenades. Once on board, Israeli troops took all communication devices, cameras, mobile phones, radios, and memory cards from the activists.
On the ship Sfendoni, a former UK diplomat named Ed Peck said the Israeli soldiers were well-trained and behaved well. He said the soldiers had small fights with a few activists trying to block them, but there were no serious injuries. However, another passenger, Paul Larudee, was reportedly beaten and tased after not following orders. A crew member, Shane Dillon, said Israeli troops used stun guns, broke a Belgian woman's nose, and beat another passenger. An Australian photojournalist, Kate Geraghty, was attacked and tased while trying to take pictures.
The captain of another ship, Kutlu Tiryaki, said the passengers had no weapons. He said they only came to bring aid peacefully. The final ship in the convoy also gave up and raised a white flag when it was boarded.
What Were the Results?
Reports said that between 9 and 19 people died, and 32 to 50 were injured. Ten of the injured were Israelis, and one of the dead was a Turkish politician. Israel confirmed four deaths. Among the dead was İbrahim Bilgen, a Turkish politician.
At least 32 activists were arrested and held by the Israel Prisons Service. They refused to sign papers to be sent away, including two who were hurt but refused hospital care.
Israel said its navy found "weapons ready in advance and used against our forces." Photos from the Israeli military showed knives, metal and wooden poles, flares, wrenches, and slingshots with marble pieces. They said these were used against the soldiers. Activists also reportedly threw stun grenades at soldiers, and the Israeli military showed videos of this. Israeli searches of the ship found bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, and gas masks.
A press release from the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel said the violence against the soldiers was planned. It also said "light weaponry" was found on the ships, including pistols taken from activists on the Mavi Marmara by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.
A picture in The Jerusalem Post showed knives and clubs. However, Israeli troops also said they found wheelchairs, cleaning supplies, and baby milk on the ships.
A high-ranking officer from Norway said after seeing the pictures that "This is not military equipment." He added that most of the tools and kitchen knives would normally be found on a ship. Officials in Turkey called Israel's claims "complete nonsense."
What Happened Afterward
Many countries reacted strongly to the raid, and Israel faced a lot of criticism.
Egypt opened its Rafah Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip to let medical aid enter. This happened after many countries criticized the raid. Hamas's leader, Khaled Mashal, called for the border to be opened right away.
Allen Weiner, a former official from the United States Department of State, said that the Israeli blockade itself is not against the law. He also said it's okay for Israeli ships to operate in international waters to enforce it.
The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said that UN worldwide law says countries cannot control areas outside their coastal waters. For Israel, this limit is 24 nautical miles (44 kilometers) from the coast.
South Africa's Ambassador left Israel and went back to South Africa to show their protest.
Turkey's deputy parliament speaker, Guldal Mumcu, said the attack was "an open violation of United Nations rules and international law." She said Turkey should seek justice against Israel through legal authorities. The parliament expected the Turkish government to change its political, military, and economic relationships with Israel.
A lawyer from the University of Istanbul, Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı, mentioned the idea of innocent passage. This means ships have the right to travel safely as long as they do not harm the peace or security of a state.
Cyprus believed that aid groups should be allowed to do their work freely and legally. It also called for the blockade of Gaza to be lifted.
The Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, called the attacks "very serious." He said the blockade was against international law and that people should be allowed to receive humanitarian help. The Irish Foreign Minister, Micheál Martin, said he was "gravely concerned."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke out against the "out sized use of force" against the flotilla.
Belgium's foreign minister, Steven Vanackere, called Israel's use of force "disproportionate." He asked the Israeli ambassador to explain what happened.
The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the UN Security Council condemned the Israeli attack. He called for an investigation and wanted Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, condemned Israel's raid. He urged Israel to follow UN Security Council decisions and make the situation in Gaza better for people.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry demanded the quick release of two Bulgarian journalists on the convoy. Bulgaria also condemned the attack, saying "nothing can justify the violence that resulted in the killing of over 10 people." It called for an investigation.
Protest rallies happened in cities like Tottenham, Paris, in Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and Malaysia.
The Czech Republic supported Israel. They said the Turkish flotilla was made to try and trap Israel into a military or political problem.
The United States also expressed opinions that supported Israel. Nauru said Hamas was wrong.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's action, calling it a "criminal attack." They called for the Gaza blockade to be lifted and showed support for the Palestinian people. Former Cuban President Fidel Castro called Israel's attack "Nazi fascist fury." He added that the Israeli soldiers who boarded the ships fired at the aid workers.
Montenegro, China, Zambia, and the United Kingdom called for a peaceful solution to the situation.
The representative of Gabon at the UN Security Council was shocked by the events. He also asked Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza and called for all sides to stop the violence.
Switzerland called for an international investigation and called in the Israeli ambassador to talk.
The Holy See (the Vatican) expressed "great concern and pain" about the incident.
What Happened to the Captured People
Israel had planned to send all the captured passengers out of Israel within 48 hours. By June 2, 2010, Israel decided to release over 600 of the activists they had held.
Images for kids
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The MV Mavi Marmara
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The INS Hanit at Haifa naval base
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The INS Nitzachon at Haifa naval base
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Mavi Marmara passengers hit IDF soldiers with metal rods.
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Footage taken from the Mavi Marmara security cameras shows the activists preparing to attack IDF soldiers.
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Activists throw back a stun grenade into an IDF speedboat, which was earlier thrown on to the Mavi Marmara
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Bulletproof vests found on the deck of the Mavi Marmara.
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An assortment of the knives, wrenches, and wooden clubs found on the deck of the Marmara, according to the Israeli military
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Toys from the flotilla being unloaded at the Port of Ashdod
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Flotilla's humanitarian aid en route to the Kerem Shalom Crossing. The aid was unloaded at the Gaza border crossing but was refused by Hamas.
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Tel Aviv university students support Israel against Gaza Flotilla.
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Tel Aviv university students support IDF and Israel against Gaza Flotilla.
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Protesters pray before the demonstration against Gaza flotilla raid, Istanbul, 31 May 2010
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Demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden on 31 May 2010.
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See also
In Spanish: Ataque a la flotilla de Gaza para niños
