Monthly Archives: June 2010

IDF Appoints Internal Team of Experts to Examine Flotilla Operation, 7 June 2010

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Findings to be Presented by July 4th, 2010

7 June 2010

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has appointed Maj. Gen. (Res.) Giora Eiland to head a team of experts in order to examine the flotilla operation and establish lessons from the event.

Maj. Gen. Eiland (Res.) and his team are to determine the outcomes and lessons learnt from the operation. The team will analyze the various investigations already being carried out within the IDF regarding the operation, looking into the findings found in common.

A team of experts was appointed due to the great significance the IDF attributes to reviewing the operation on May 31st, 2010 to enforce the maritime closure of the Gaza Strip.

The team of experts will present its findings to the IDF Chief of the General Staff by July 4th, 2010.

The team is also made up of Brig. Gen. (Res.) Aviv Kohavi, the former head of the Operations Division, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yuval Halamish, former head of the IDF Intelligence and a senior member of the Israeli National Security Council, and Col. (Res.) Ben Tzion Daabul, the former head of the Israel Navy Operational Branch and a senior figure at the defense establishment’s controller’s bureau.

A team of experts differs from an investigative team in that it is made up of a group of professionals with expertise on the matter, and were not a part of the operational chain of command during this specific incident. The IDF carries out examinations and investigations of various operations and exercises of this kind routinely and following Operation Cast Lead.

Breakdown of Humanitarian Aid to the Gaza Strip for May 30th-June 5th, 7 June 2010

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The document below is a detailed breakdown of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip for May 30th- June 5th. The statistics include the amount of trucks and tons of aid imported this past week, as well as what goods were imported into the Strip.

As shown below: 484 trucks were imported into Gaza, including 20 of aggregates and 2 of cement.

[scribd id=32650677 key=key-orj8mexp3qf9nuxts3c mode=list]

IAF Targets Rocket Launching Squad in Northern Gaza Strip, 7 June 2010

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The IAF recently targeted a terrorist squad preparing to fire rockets into Israel from the northern Gaza Strip. Direct hits were identified.

Over 10 rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel in the last three weeks.

The IDF remains committed to protecting the citizens of Israel and will continue to act against terror. The IDF holds Hamas solely responsible for terror emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Specific Flotilla Passangers Linked to Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Other Terror Organizations, 6 June 2010

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Specific Flotilla Passengers are Active Terror Operatives Linked to Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Other Organizations

6 June 2010

The following passengers on board the Mavi Marmara are known to be involved in terrorist activity. The Mavi Marmara attempted to break the maritime closure on the Gaza Strip on Monday, May 31st 2010, and was boarded by Israel Navy forces.

Fatimah Mahmadi (born 1979), is a United States resident of Iranian origin, and an active member of the organization “Viva Palestine”, she attempted to smuggle forbidden electronic components into the Gaza Strip.

Ken O’Keefe (Born 1969), an American and British citizen, is a radical anti-Israel activist and operative of the Hamas Terror organization. He attempted to enter the Gaza Strip in order to form and train a commando unit for the Palestinian terror organization.

Hassan Iynasi (born 1982), a Turkish citizen and activist  in a Turkish charity organization, is known of providing financial support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Terror organization.

Hussein Urosh, a Turkish citizen and activist in the IHH organization, was on his way to the Gaza Strip in order to assist in smuggling Al-Qaeda operatives via Turkey into the Strip.

Ahmad Umimon (born 1959), is a French citizen of Moroccan origin, and an operative of the Hamas Terrorist organization.

Breakdown of Humanitarian Aid to the Gaza Strip in 2009-2010, 6 June 2010

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The document below is a detailed breakdown of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in 2009-2010. The statistics include the amount of trucks and tons of aid imported in each year, as well as what goods were imported into the Strip.

2009: 30,894 trucks and 738,576 tons of aid imported into Gaza

2010 (as of June 3rd): 11,972 trucks  and 287,110 tons of aid imported into Gaza

[scribd id=32598706 key=key-sjpe6q3sm9007y14d3s mode=list]

Video and Photos of Passengers Disembarking from Ship at Ashdod Port, 5 June 2010

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In the following video and photos, passengers from the 7th flotilla ship arrive at the Ashdod Port accompanied by the IDF Naval Special Forces. The ship had been boarded by the IDF forces and with full compliance of the crew, instructed the ship’s captain to sail to the Ashdod Port after it had attempted to break the maritime closure of the Gaza Strip.

Nineteen people were on board the boat, including eight crew members, all of whom will be transferred to the custody of the appropriate authorities in the Interior Ministry. The cargo found on board will be transferred to the Gaza Strip following security inspection.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtjWyweOFyM]

Radio Exchange Between Israeli Navy and 7th Flotilla Ship Regarding Transfer of Aid to Gaza, 5 June 2010

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In this audio recording of the radio transmission between the Israeli Navy and the 7th flotilla ship, the Israeli Navy offers to transfer all humanitarian supplies on board to Gaza through land crossings in coordination with a third party (including a number of independent aid organizations), so that the Navy would not have to board the ship. Additionally, the Israeli Navy offers that if the ship redirects to dock at Ashdod Port, the cement on board will be transferred into Gaza in coordination with an aid organization to ensure that it is used for civilian purposes.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pU5HPudACE]

The following is a transcript of the radio transmission recording:

Israeli Navy: I’d like to propose something else. First I’d like to make clear it is not our desire, I repeat, it is not our desire, to board your boat. My proposal is as follows: We escort you to Ashdod Port. At the Port of Ashdod you’ll undergo standard inspections, standard of all incoming vessels, and we’ll take it from there in terms of expediting your loading of cargo trucks at the port.

7th Flotilla Ship: How about this for a suggestion…you stop, have a cup of tea, and we’ll continue on to Gaza. We cannot go into Ashdod and off load. I have explained already for circumstances we’ve already gone through that we cannot off load in Ashdod, over.

Israeli Navy: I’ve just been informed I may have not been clear in detailing our previous offer, so I’d like to go over another detail in case you feel I was not clear. Should you agree to come with us to Ashdod and off load your cargo, your cargo would not be delivered to the people of Gaza by the State of Israel. We could do it through an intermediary under the U.N. or an NGO, we have several available willing to help. If you weren’t aware of this issue, it is possible, and we would like to bring this to your attention.

7th Flotilla Ship: The Irish government, I think, had been in talks with the Israeli government seeking safe passage for this ship into Gaza and I think that the best compromise that they could come to was to send this aid to Ashdod. We are further asking to let this ship go to Gaza, over.

Israeli Navy: I’m still hoping we can take this a step ahead and reach a solution.

7th Flotilla Ship: I do too, over.

Israeli Navy: It has been brought to my attention that should it result in the way I proposed, of you coming into Ashdod under escort and offloading the cargo in Ashdod Port, the cement that you said is the bulk of your cargo will be transferred to Gaza. That’s the assurance I have just been given by my superiors. To the best of my knowledge that would be precedent setting. It would something you could take back to your supporters, to your fellow passengers, to the people you say you want to support, and to the government you say you are rebuking for not doing more for Gaza.

Clarification/Correction Regarding Audio Transmission Between Israeli Navy and Flotilla on 31 May 2010, Posted on 5 June 2010

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Clarification/Correction Regarding Audio Transmission Between Flotilla and Israeli Navy

5 June 2010

Yesterday evening on 4 June 2010, the IDF released an audio recording of a radio transmission between the Israeli Navy vessel and the Flotilla ships wherein unidentified flotilla passengers tell the Israeli Navy vessel to “shut up,  go back to Auschwitz” and “we’re helping Arabs go against the US, don’t forget 9/11.” There have been questions regarding the authenticity of the recording as well as its attribution to a communication with the Mavi Marmara.

So to clarify: the audio was edited down to cut out periods of silence over the radio as well as incomprehensible comments so as to make it easier for people to listen to the exchange. We have now uploaded the entire segment of 5 minutes and 58 seconds in which the exchange took place and the comments were made.

This transmission had originally cited the Mavi Marmara ship as being the source of these remarks, however, due to an open channel, the specific ship or ships in the “Freedom Flotilla” responding to the Israeli Navy could not be identified. During radio transmissions between Israeli Navy and the ships of the “Free Gaza” Flotilla on 31 May 2010, the Israeli Navy ship attempts to make contact with the ‘Defne Y’ on channel 1-6. Other ships from the flotilla respond on the channel, without identifying themselves. At some point during the radio exchange the Israeli Navy is told by one of the ships to “shut up, go back to Auschwitz” (2:05) and “don’t forget 9-11″ (5:42).

Below are both the edited and unedited version of the exchange:

Edited:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY7Q7CvQPQ]

Unedited:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dE2StbDL_Q]

We hope that this clarifies any questions that may have been raised regarding the radio exchange.

Ship Attempting to Break Maritime Closure Docks at Ashdod Port, 5 June 2010

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Ship Attempting to Break Maritime Closure Docks at Ashdod Port

5 June 2010

Moments ago the ship which was boarded earlier today by IDF naval forces docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod, after attempting to break the maritime closure of the Gaza Strip.

Nineteen people were onboard the boat, including eight crew members, all of whom will be transferred to the custody of the appropriate authorities in the Interior Ministry. The cargo found onboard will be transferred to the Gaza Strip following security inspection.

Earlier today, naval soldiers boarded the ship with the full compliance of the crew and without incident, and instructed the ship’s captain to sail to and dock at the Ashdod port.

Any organization or country wishing to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip can do so legally via the established crossings by coordinating with the relevant authorities, as is done on a near daily basis.