Tag Archives: taken-on-board

The Israeli navy has stormed at least one of a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip, amid reports of casualties on board. Some reports say two people have been killed and about 30 injured. Israel has declined to comment. The exact location of the interception is unclear. Israel had warned the ships not to enter its territorial waters. The ships are carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid to the Gaza Strip in an effort to break an Israeli blockade. Turkish TV pictures taken on board the Turkish ship leading the flotilla show Israeli soldiers fighting to control passengers. The footage showed a number of people, apparently injured, lying on the ground. The sound of gunshots could be heard. It is not clear whether the fighting is ongoing. Al-Jazeera TV reported from the same ship that Israeli navy forces had fired and boarded the vessel, wounding the captain. The Al-Jazeera broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, “Everybody shut up!”. “Provocation' The six-ship flotilla left international waters off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday and was expected to arrive in Gaza later on Monday. Israel has said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a “provocation intended to delegitimise Israel”. added by: alexandrek