IDF: We didn't sabotage Gaza aid ship in bid to avoid humanitarian crisis

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

De andere schepen waren dus wel gesaboteerd?
He also noted that soldiers found pistols in the hands of two of the
activists who were killed, along with empty casings - dan zullen ze dus
ook wel kruitsporen op hun handen hebben?

Groet / Cees

IDF: We didn't sabotage Gaza aid ship in bid to avoid humanitarian
crisis		http://www.haaretz.com/
*  Published 13:00 01.06.10

Senior officer hints the IDF disabled the engines of the other five
ships in the Gaza aid flotilla, says Marmara was too large and could
have been stuck at sea for days.
By Jonathan Lis

A senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Tuesday that the army had
decided against sabotaging a ship in the Gaza flotilla at the center of
Monday's deadly clashes, out of fear that the vessel would be stranded
in the middle of the ocean and at risk of a humanitarian crisis.

The flotilla, carrying tons of aid, had set sail from Turkey on Sunday,
with the intention of breaking Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Israel said Monday that it had repeatedly asked the convoy to turn back,
and offered to deliver the aid via land, both of which were rejected by
the convoy. Israel Navy troops boarded five of the six ships without
incident before dawn Monday, but clashes erupted on the sixth boat, and
nine passengers were killed.

During his briefing on the operation to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs
and Defense Committee, Colonel Itzik Turgeman hinted that the IDF had
sabotaged the engines of the other five ships, saying that "they took
care of them."

He also noted that soldiers found pistols in the hands of two of the
activists who were killed, along with empty casings.

Turgeman said that at 4:20 A.M. local time Monday, IDF troops had
observed the Mavi Marmara and as the deck seemed quiet, assessed that
the passengers on board were sleeping. In reality, the activists were
waiting for the soldiers armed with clubs and other weapons.

The committee also heard further details about the naval operation,
including that the officer in charge had photographed the head of the
Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah,
and sent the photo to Israel in order to refute rumors that he had been
wounded or killed during the clashes. Turgeman also said that Israeli
Arab MK Hanin Zoabi had tended the wounded on the ship.

**********
Dit bericht is verzonden via de informele D66 discussielijst (D66 at nic.surfnet.nl).
Aanmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SUBSCRIBE D66 uwvoornaam uwachternaam
Afmelden: stuur een email naar LISTSERV at nic.surfnet.nl met in het tekstveld alleen: SIGNOFF D66
Het on-line archief is te vinden op: http://listserv.surfnet.nl/archives/d66.html
**********