the truth about the israeli flotilla raid

Valerie Flynn talks to Irish members of the Palestinian aid convoy about the events of May 30, and hears some disturbing stories about Israel’s use of force

Valerie Flynn, 28 Jun 2010

In the early hours of May 30, a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was attacked by the Israeli Defence Forces. During the attack, Israeli commandos killed nine activists on board a Turkish ship, the MV Mavi Marmora, sparking international outrage. Indeed it may have been a turning point in the siege of Gaza, as in the wake of the killings, even the US government felt the need to declare that the siege was unsustainable.

Though none of them were aboard the Marmora, a number of Irish citizens were part of the convoy that was attacked and taken by force by the Israelis.

"I was on the radio, talking to the Mavi Marmora and when I looked around I could see two small ships approaching quickly from behind,"says Shane Dillon, first mate on board the MV Challenger I. "There were also about six smaller boats, Zodiacs. They had no lights but I could see the bow wave on the water horizon. One of the Israeli boats came alongside us on the port side."

The initial radio contact from the Israeli authorities - warning the flotilla to turn back - had come two hours earlier, at around 11pm. The flotilla had elected to press on. Now, as the Israeli craft approached, it was still dark but the night was clear and there was a moon. The crew and passengers of the Challenger watched as the Israeli commandos approached the Marmora. Then, chaos broke out.

"The other boats started their anti-piracy offences, running the firehouses over the side of the boats,"Shane, who worked on Irish merchant ships for 11 years explains. "It’s typically what you do if you’re going past Somalia; it makes it awkward for small boats to come alongside."

These were moments of high drama, when anything might have happened. But no one who was part of the mission had anticipated that people would die.

"They used stun grenades on the stern of the Marmora,"

Shane says. "We could see what looked like tear gas from the stern of the boat. The passengers started trying to throw rubbish bags – just black sacks – off the side. We could hear the snaps of tasers."

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