Report; “15 killed, 30 wounded, After Army Attacks Freedom Flotilla”

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

In what activists have termed a 'massacre on the high seas', Israeli commandos dropped from a helicopter onto humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza and began to open fire. Israeli media have reported that 15 have been killed and at least 30 wounded in the Israeli attack.

Senior Turkish officials held an urgent meeting to decide on the country’s stance on the Israeli attack -- initial reports have indicated that most of the killed and some of the wounded are Turkish.

Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was also among the wounded.

Al Jazeera said that Salah suffered serious injuries.

Al Jazeera has reported that Israeli paratroopers and Navy personnel attacked the ships and opened fire in different directions at the passengers.

The Qatar-based Al Jazeera network managed to broadcast live images of the wounded activists after being attacked by the Israeli soldiers.

The Free Gaza Movement said on its twitter page that "At about 4:30 am, Israeli commandos dropped from helicopter onto deck of Turkish ship, immediately opened fire on unarmed civilians."

Israel is still threatening a larger offensive against the humanitarian ships and the activists on board.

The Freedom Flotilla was supposed to reach Gaza Monday morning, with thousands of tons of much-needed humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, school supplies and building materials.

The Israeli army had said that they would take the ships to the Ashdod Port to confiscate them and arrest the activists, but activists have reported that they believe they are being hauled to Haifa port.

Israeli blamed Turkey for the attack and claimed that the Turkish humanitarian-aid foundation (IHH) is connected to “terrorist” groups.

The army dropped paratroopers onto the ships and opened live fire at the peace activists, while the humanitarian aid ships were still in international waters.

The Israeli army reported that one soldier was wounded during the attack against the ships, although it is unclear whether the soldier was wounded by 'friendly fire'.