Israeli raid on aid convoy kills 10, sparks outrage

At least ten people were killed when Israeli navy commandos stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters early on Monday morning, sparking international outrage and plunging Israel into a diplomatic crisis.

Most of the 700 people on the six-ship convoy dubbed the ‘freedom flotilla’ were international activists intending to bypass Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The ships were carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid supplies for Gaza. Reports on the total death toll vary, with some sources placing fatalities at 10 while others say up to 20 people were killed in the raid. Israel maintains its soldiers were acting to defend themselves from an attack initiated by those on board the boats.

Condemnation for Israel’s strike poured in from around the world, with the United Nations Security Council convening an emergency session to discuss the incident. Pakistan also strongly condemned the ‘use of brazen force by Israel against a humanitarian mission,’ with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani terming it a violation of international law.

Pakistanis safe and sound

Pakistani journalists Talat Hussain and Raza Mahmood Agha and a Pakistani NGO worker were also on board the flotilla. Pakistani officials said that the three were safe and sound although no contact could be established with them.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he had asked the US to contact Israel to get information about the Pakistani nationals on board the flotilla, and in the late evening it was reported that Israel had told the US that no Pakistanis were killed in the strike.

Reports indicated that 16 people had been jailed by the Israeli authorities, but no Pakistani was among those imprisoned. Israel reportedly communicated that all those on board the  flotilla who could prove their identities would be deported soon.

Talking to journalists, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan would do its best to raise international awareness about the ‘condemnable’ strike. He said he was in contact with the Turkish foreign minister and would coordinate efforts with the Arab League and the OIC at the earliest.

In a separate media talk Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he was in touch with Interpol officials to determine the status of the Pakistanis detained by Israeli forces.

Malik said the government would take all measures necessary to ensure that Pakistani citizens returned home safely.

International reaction

Meanwhile, leaders in various countries continued to condemn Monday’s strike. Turkey one of the states that protested against the strike most vocally, as reports indicated that a majority of those killed by Israeli forces were Turkish.

Turkey accused Israel of ‘state terrorism’ and announced that the Turkish ambassador to Tel Aviv, Oguz Celikkol, would summoned back to Ankara. Turkey’s plans for three joint military exercises with Israel were also been scrapped, as Turkish President Erdogan noted that “International law has been trampled underfoot.”

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanded Israeli authorities mount a “full inquiry” into the deaths on the flotilla, as ambassadors from the 27 EU countries prepared to hold emergency talks on the issue in Brussels at the earliest.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague deplored the loss of life and said there was a “clear need for Israel to act with restraint”. He also urged the Jewish state to lift the “unacceptable and counter-productive” restrictions on aid going into the Palestinian territory.

Arab countries slammed Israel’s deadly raid and urged the United Nations to hold the Jewish state accountable.”This is a very powerful message that Israel does not want peace,” Arab League chief Amr Mussa said on Monday.

US President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it was important to find out “all the facts” of Monday’s raid as soon as possible, as Netanyahu cancelled his visit to Washington, due on Tuesday, to return to Israel to deal with the crisis.

Palestinian Prime Minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the raid did not come as a ‘surprise’ to the Palestinian people since they knew about Israel’s crimes. He said that the Israeli leadership had gone beyond all norms of humanity.

Protests against the strike erupted all over the world. More than 1000 pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated outside the Israeli embassy in London, and hundreds gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Turkey. In Pakistan, hundreds of protestors took to the streets to protest the raid.

(ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SUMERA KHAN)

Published in the Express Tribune, June 1st, 2010.