The Gaza flotilla raid is an event that occurred on 31 May 2010. It was in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, when Israeli naval forces seized an aid flotilla of six ships carrying 663 or 682 pro-Palestinian activists from 37 nations, known as the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla". The activists were trying to breach the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian supplies. During the event, Israeli military forces seized a convoy of six ships carrying goods which should be brought to the Palestinian territories in the form of aid. There were 663-682 people on board these ships. The ships were headed to the port of Gaza. Israel had offered them to land at a different port, so that the aid could be inspected, but the crew had declined this offer. During the incident, at least nine people were killed.
The regional overview
The Gaza strip is part of Palestine. It is amongst the most densely populated areas on Earth. About 1.5 million people live on a surface of roughly 493 km².
The Palestinian Authority says that this is an occupied territory. They say, Israel is the occupation force, and it should withdraw, and give the territory back to the Palestinians. Israel has attacked and bombed Gaza several times.
Israel does not see things this way, since they gave over the territory to Palestinian administration in 2005, and have pulled back their troops over time . Meanwhile, Hamas, the Palestinian group which controls the territory, has launched it's rockets at Israel.
Hamas took over the Gaza Strip since the Fatah–Hamas conflict that was after the 2006 Palestinian elections Israel said Hamas to be a terrorist movement. Likewise, Egypt did not agree with Hamas removing the Palestinian Authority officials from Gaza.
The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip was said to be a safety measure by Israel, but the Free Gaza Movement are opposed. Hamas, along with other groups had been causing trouble there and in southern parts of Israel. The blocked started in 2007. Many countries (like Egypt) feal sorry for the Gaza Strip, a few others (like Iran) hate or some how fear Israel and some (like the USA) agree with Israel.
The ships' route
The Turkish passenger ship Cruse Liner MV Mavi Marmara was trying to take Turkish and Cypriot aid to the Gaza Strip on May the 31st, when the Israeli Navy found it. The 3 year old blockade was upheld by Flotilla 13. The Mavi Marmara was 40 miles from the Gaza Strip when it was raided. 27 British activists, 9 Palestinian, 8 Turks, 2 Irish, 1 Swedish, 1 South African, 1 American and 1 Albanian were on the Mavi Marmara, along with a few others. The Mavi Marmara was followed by the Irish passenger ship MV Rachel Corrie and 4 other minor vessels. The ships carried a total of 663-682 activists and aid workers, including several Turks, several Malaysians another American, an Australian, and a Belgian.
There were in total 663 or 683 people from 37 nations on board the 6 ships in the civilian flotilla. Notable people aboard the flotilla included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan, former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday, Israeli-Arab member of Knesset Haneen Zoubi, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel Raed Salah, Swedish novelist Henning Mankell, and a number of politicians from European and Arab national governments and the European Parliament.
The raid
Israel said that the other 5 ships were boarded and taken over peacefully, and that the only incidents took place in the Mavi Marmara, but many reports that several people from the other ships were also wounded.
The flotilla had planned to break through the Gaza blockade, ignoring Israel's plan for the activists to stop at the port of Ashdod and transfer the cargo through there. After the flotilla's activists ignored repeated calls to give in, soldiers from the Shayetet 13 (Flotilla 13) unit boarded the ships at around 04:00 IST
The convoy organizers Arafat Shoukriof, of the Free Gaza Movement (FGM), denied the account of Israeli military. One of the co-organizers of the flotilla convoy, said those on board one ship had called them by telephone to say that Israeli helicopters had arrived to do a surprise raid.
The MV Mavi Marmara is raided
The boarding of the Mavi Marmara resulted in violent clashes between activists and Israeli soldiers, though the details are disputed.