The IDF Spokesperson reports that 20 truckloads of aid taken from the captured flotilla ships was taken to the Keren Shalom crossing into Gaza.
But Hamas has refused to accept it, in keeping with their philosophy that it is always more important to hurt Jews than to help Arabs.
Here are some photos from the IDF of some of the ‘aid’ that was not transferred to Hamas:
Bulletproof vests, also worn by attackers
Gas masks
Night vision equipment and rifle scope
When the IDF naval commandos landed on the deck of the Mavi Marmara, paintball guns ready, they were met (video here) by a large number of thugs wearing face masks, bullet-proof vests and swinging various weapons including metal pipes cut from railings, etc.
Several cut-off saws used by the ‘peaceful aid workers’ were found on the deck. Here is a photo of how some of the weapons were prepared:
How railings, etc. were converted into weapons
A pile of the metal pipes used to club the commandos
They also used slingshots to shoot marbles, bolts, etc. These can be deadly.
The ‘humanitarians’ also had numerous knives and other tools that they used in the attack:
Knives and tools used as weapons on Mavi Marmara
So who were the gangsters that lay in wait on the deck? They did not include the 80-something Holocaust survivor, or any of the other celebrity dupes on board:
On board the Mavi Marmara ship that arrived as part of the flotilla to Gaza was a group of approximately 40 people with no identification papers. This was disclosed by the Israeli Security Cabinet, which gathered on Tuesday evening (June 1) for a special meeting.
According to intelligence disclosed during that meeting, these protesters wore bullet-proof vests, and carried with them night-vision goggles, weapons, and large sums of cash. Each person in this group had the exact same amount of cash in his pockets. While the rest of protestors [sic] was sent to the lower deck during the Shayetet Naval Special Force’s interception of the ship, the group divided into cells and remained on the upper deck in order to attack the soldiers. — IDF Spokesperson
So far there’s no hard information, although we do know that at least four out of the nine dead — we can assume that the passengers who were shot were most likely among those who attacked the Israelis — were Turkish. MEMRI has an interesting piece about some Arabs who were on board the ships, but it does not mention the Turks.
It seems to me that the violent reception given the Israelis was carefully planned and well-organized. Here the thugs are getting ready. Note the vests, life jackets, and helmets — in addition to the poles, slingshots, etc.:
Usually, when ‘civilians’ are ‘martyred’, the anti-Israel forces go to great lengths to generate pathos. But in this case there is total silence about who they are and what they were doing. This is because they are not humanitarian activists.
They are terrorists and should not be released until they have been interrogated and it’s discovered who organized and financed them. And Israel should demand an accounting from Turkey if it is determined that the Turkish authorities had any knowledge of the plan.
As I wrote yesterday, Israel’s operation was totally legal, and Israel’s only mistake was in not understanding that their naval commandos were being sent into combat.
Technorati Tags: Israel, Gaza, flotilla, Mavi Marmara