Eyewitness accounts from the aide ship raided by commandos in international waters raises some troubling questions for international law.
- The UN Charter on the Law of the Sea says only if a vessel is suspected to be transporting weapons, or weapons of mass destruction, can it be boarded in international waters. Otherwise the permission of the ship's flag carrying nation must be sought.
But the Israeli Defense Force says soldiers acted in self-defence, which does not cover why the solders were raiding a ship in international waters in the first place unless they suspected aide to include weapons or weapons of mass destruction. However, Israel does claim that weapons were on board, soldiers were attacked with "knives, clubs and other weapons." For tough elite Israeli commandos I supposed "crying babies and hungry kittens" would also be considered "other weapons" legitimizing opening fire in "self defence".
Caption: The flotilla of six ships, including the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, was on its way from Cyprus to Gaza carrying supplies including cement, paper and water purification tablets
Criticism from the International community has been scathing, except for Canada as the Israeli Prime Minister was visiting Toronto at the time. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon along with many heads of state called for Israel to investigate the incident and lift the blockade of Gaza. The international community asked for the investigation to be "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent".
Following the sea-born raide by Israel, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza strip opened to allow humanitarian aid through
on tablets
With notes and images from BBC World News Witnesses cast doubt on Israel's convoy raid account
