Azerbaijan, Baku, May 31 /Trend, U.Sadikhova/
Human rights activists of Freedom Flotilla, running with humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and intercepted on the approaches to the enclave blocked by Israeli Navy, arrived in Israel, an official source in the Israeli government, who wished to remain anonymous, told Trend by telephone from Jerusalem.
Israel offered them to supply humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip on another way, buy they ignored it and wanted to fight. These people come in with violence rather than humanitarian efforts, official representative said.
Freedom Flotilla consists of six vessels. On Sunday they moved from the coast of Cyprus to the breakthrough of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. At least 600 human rights activists, with most Turkish citizens, moved to the blocked Palestinian enclave and the ships contained 10,000 tons of humanitarian cargo.
According to Arab media outlets, during operation, at least 15 people were killed and 30 wounded. Amongst the wounded there were the leader of the radical Islamic movement in Israel, Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Lebanese humanitarian mission, Dr. Khani Suleiman. The Israeli military confirmed the death of 10 people from those on ships.
The actions of the Israeli Navy caused a strong criticism of Turkish government, who withdrew its ambassador to Tel Aviv Ogus Chelikkol and demanded an extraordinary meeting of UN Security Council. European countries also did not stay indifferent to what happened and demanded to open the border for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. According to Israeli media, the arrested ship fleet will be directed to the Ashdod port, while IDF naval forces will perform security checks in order to identify the people on board the ships and their equipment.
The Israeli government has laid the responsibility to the organizers of the humanitarian mission.
On board the International flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip were contraband weapons, using which, the activists attacked upon Israeli soldiers, official source in the Israeli government told Trend. This was the cause of the violence and led to human casualties, the Israeli authorities say.
Most of the victims were citizens of Turkey. Ankara has demanded Israel to deliver home all the Turkish victims and wounded.
According to Western media, in addition to Turkish citizens, the representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Greece, Malaysia, Algeria, Serbia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Germany.