The raid took place in international waters, 75 miles off the Israeli coast, in strict violation of the international laws.

Real World Radio interviewed Dr. Arafat Shoukri, head of the Council for European- Palestinian Relations and chair of the European campaign to End the Siege of Gaza – who participated in the Free Gaza aid convoy. He said that between 16 and 19 activists were killed and another sixty were injured in the Israeli raid.

Shoukri also said Israel refused to inform about the fate of the hundreds of activists who were traveling on board of the aid ships.
“Israel is refusing to give our lawyers any kind of information, exactly how many people were injured, how many people were killed, or the fate of the detainees now”, he said.

Ever since they learned of the aid convoy’s initiative, the Israeli government has attempted to prevent it, by accusing Free Gaza of staging a provocation that had no humanitarian ends.

The movement’s ships carried construction materials, medical supplies and toys. One of the passengers was Irish Nobel laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Swedish writer Henning Mankell, former US congress woman
Cynthia McKinney and MPs from Germany, Norway, Bulgaria and Ireland.

Israel’s military action was condemned by the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, the Turkish government and the European Parliament. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and human rights organization Amnesty International called for a thorough investigation into the attack.

Arafat Shoukri told Real World Radio about the response they expected from Israel and the international community:

“We are calling first to release all the prisoners and that the humanitarian aid is delivered to Gaza (...) We call upon the international community for an investigation into exactly what happened and then to bring those criminals who committed this crime, to justice. And finally to lift the siege on Gaza”.

Photo: freegaza.org