Gaza flotilla raid

32°38′28″N 33°34′02″E / 32.64113°N 33.56727°E / 32.64113; 33.56727

Gaza flotilla raid
Part of Blockade of the Gaza Strip
Routes of the Gaza-bound flotilla (green) and the Israeli Navy (orange)
Date 31 May 2010 Location Mediterranean Sea
Belligerents
Israel	Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Units involved
Shayetet 13
Casualties and losses
10 wounded	10 dead Dozens wounded

The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six civilian ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of the flotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with thirty wounded (including one who later died of his wounds).^[1][2] Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously. The exact sequence of events is contested, in part due to the IDF's confiscation of the passengers' photographic evidence.^[3] The flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Navy warned the flotilla via radio to stop approaching the naval blockade and to change course to the port of Ashdod. This request was denied and on 31 May 2010, Israeli Shayetet 13 naval commandos boarded the ships in international waters from speedboats^[4] and helicopters. Aboard the Turkish ship MV Mavi Marmara, the Israeli Navy faced resistance from about 40 of the 590 passengers, including IHH activists who were said to be armed with iron bars and knives.^[5] During the struggle, nine activists were killed, including eight Turkish nationals and one Turkish American, and many were wounded. On 23 May 2014, a tenth member of the flotilla died in hospital after being in a coma for four years.^[6] Ten of the commandos were also wounded, one of them seriously.^[5][7]

According to a UN report, all activist deaths were caused by gunshots, and "the circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution."^[8][9] The five other ships in the flotilla employed passive resistance, which was suppressed without major incident. According to the UN report, several of the passengers were injured and the leg of one was fractured.^[8][10] The ships were towed to Israel. Some passengers were deported immediately, while about 600 were detained after they refused to sign deportation orders; a few of them were slated for prosecution. After international criticism, all of the detained activists were also deported.^[11][12]

The raid drew widespread condemnation internationally and resulted in a deterioration of Israel–Turkey relations. Israel subsequently eased its blockade on the Gaza Strip. All surviving activists were freed, though only the Turkish and Greek ships were returned. Israel confiscated and continued to hold the other ships, as well as most of the property (including all media recordings) of over 700 passengers, as of June 2010^[update].^{[13][needs update]}

There were several probes into the incident. A UNHRC report in September 2010 into the incident deemed the blockade illegal and stated that Israel's actions were "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality", with evidence of "wilful killing". United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a parallel probe in August 2010 by a four-member panel headed by Geoffrey Palmer. The Palmer report was published on 2 September 2011 after being delayed, reportedly to allow Israel and Turkey to continue reconciliation talks. The report found that the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza was legal, and that there were "serious questions about the conduct, true nature and objectives of the flotilla organizers, particularly IHH".^[14][15] The report also found that the degree of force used against the Mavi Marmara was "excessive and unreasonable",^[16] and that the way Israel treated detained crew members violated international human rights law.^[16]

Israel has offered Turkey $20 million in compensation for the raid.^[17] On 22 March 2013, in a half-hour telephone exchange between Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the former apologized on behalf of his nation; Erdoğan accepted the apology and both agreed to enter into further discussions.^[18][19] On 29 June 2016, the agreement was finalized and approved by the Israeli government.^[20]