Νεότερα απο το Al Jazeera, 08.27 π.μ
Israel attacks Gaza aid fleet
Aid convoy was attacked 65km off the Gaza coast
Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on Gaza.
Up to 16 people were killed and more than 30 people injured when troops stormed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, the Israeli Army Radio said.
The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.
Footage from the flotilla's lead vessel, the Mavi Marmara, showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the ship and helicopters flying overhead.
Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, on board the Mavi Marmara, said Israeli troops had used live ammunition during the operation.
The Israeli Army Radio said soldiers opened fire "after confronting those on board carrying sharp objects".
Free Gaza Movement, the organisers of the flotilla, however, said the troops opened fire as soon as they stormed the ships.
They also said the ships were now being towed to the Israeli town of Haifa, instead of Ashdod to avoid waiting journalists.
Earlier, the Israeli navy had contacted the captain of the Mavi Marmara, asking him to identify himself and say where the ship was headed.
Israeli intervention
IN DEPTH
Shortly after, two Israeli naval vessels had flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance.
Organisers of the flotilla carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid then diverted their ships and slowed down to avoid a confrontation during the night.
They also issued all passengers life jackets and asked them to remain below deck.
Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Jerusalem, said the Israeli action was surprising.
"All the images being shown from the activists on board those ships show clearly that they were civilians and peaceful in nature, with medical supplies on board. So it will surprise many in the international community to learn what could have possibly led to this type of confrontation," he said.
Protests
Condemnation has been quick to pour in after the Israeli action.
Thousands of Turkish protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul soon after the news of the operation broke. The protesters shouted "Damn Israel" as police blocked them.
Turkey is also reported to have summoned the Israeli ambassador to lodge a protest.
Meanwhile, Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, has dubbed the Israeli action as "barbaric".
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, including a Nobel laureate and several European legislators, are with the flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza in defiance of an Israeli embargo.
But Israel has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip and vowed to stop the six ships from reaching the coastal Palestinian territory.
The flotilla had set sail from a port in Cyprus on Sunday and aimed to reach Gaza by Monday morning.
Israel said the boats were embarking on "an act of provocation" against the Israeli military, rather than providing aid, and that it had issued warrants to prohibit their entrance to Gaza.
It asserted that the flotilla would be breaking international law by landing in Gaza, a claim the organisers rejected.
Τουλάχιστον 10 είναι οι νεκροί από την επίθεση ισραηλινών καταδρομέων στα πλοία της διεθνούς νηοπομπής που μετέφερε ανθρωπιστική βοήθεια στη Λωρίδα της Γάζας, σύμφωνα με το ισραηλινό ιδιωτικό δίκτυο τηλεόρασης 10.
Ανδρες των ομάδων καταδρομών του ισραηλινού ναυτικού άνοιξαν πυρ μετά την επίθεση που δέχθηκαν με μαχαίρια και τσεκούρια από ορισμένα μέλη των αποστολών του διεθνούς στολίσκου, προσθέτει το ίδιο δίκτυο.
Το ίδιο δίκτυο δεν προσδιορίζει εάν μεταξύ των νεκρών και των τραυματιών περιλαμβάνονται και ισραηλινοί στρατιώτες.
Νωρίτερα, το τηλεοπτικό δίκτυο της ισλαμιστικής Χαμάς είχε κάνει λόγο για δύο νεκρούς. Τον ίδιο αριθμό νεκρών επιβεβαιώνει και η τουρκική Μη Κυβερνητική Οργάνωση που προώθησε την πρωτοβουλία.
ΠΗΓΗ: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ, Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο Ειδήσεων
Τα νέα έφτασαν με το πρώτο φως της ημέρας...και δεν είναι καλά...η επικοινωνία ανύπαρκτη, μέχρι στιγμής, με τους ανθρώπους που βρίσκονται στο στόλο...οι ισραηλινοί κομάντος έκαναν αυτό που ξέρουν καλύτερα να κάνουν ...σκότωσαν.
Η Ελληνική Κυβέρνηση και το ΥΠΕΞ επισήμως δεν έχει αντιδράσει ακόμα...μετά τον καφέ θα το σκεφτεί, θέλουμε να πιστεύουμε...
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