Just a few days ago, The Turkish president and Prime minister, had relayed the message to Israel to stand down and to allow the flotilla (which included some Turkish vessels) to sail through the Israeli blockade and allow these vessels through.
The Israeli government denied the request and added that they would stop and use force if necessary in dealing with this flotilla that was en route to Gaza.
The past few days I have been keeping track of both the middle east and the Korean peninsula, to see from where the spark that the start the 3rd world war will be ignited.
As results and more news about this attack are made clear, if any of the killed or injured are Turkish, this could be the beginning of Israeli/Turkish conflict.
Gaza aid flotilla attacked, two killed
Mon, 31 May 2010 03:06:44 GMT
Israeli forces have attacked the international aid convoy Freedom Flotilla en route to the besieged Gaza Strip, killing at least two people and leaving more than 50 injured.
The attack came on Monday morning after Israel deployed warships and threatened to stop the flotilla from reaching Gaza.
Israeli navy forces and helicopters have taken over the ships in the humanitarian aid convoy and are using force against those on board, a Press TV correspondent reported.
Israeli soldiers have reportedly detained the activists accompanying the convoy.
In Gaza, Palestine's democratically elected Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh strongly condemned the attack on the flotilla and called on the international community to protect the aid mission.
The convoy carries 10,000 tons of supplies and hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists.
The flotilla was seeking to break Israel's crippling blockade of Gaza and deliver basic necessities to the impoverished Palestinians in the coastal enclave.
UPDATE---
Death toll from Gaza aid attack hits 20
Mon, 31 May 2010 05:27:14 GMT
The death toll from the Israeli navy's takeover of a Gaza aid convoy has risen to 20 while Israel carefully censors reports on the casualties from the attack.
Gaza Freedom Flotilla came under fire early on Monday by Israeli navy forces in international waters more than 150km (90 miles) off the coast of Gaza.
The six-ship aid fleet was soon stormed by commandos descending from helicopters.
At least 20 people were killed in the takeover of the Gaza aid convoy, al-Aqsa TV channel reported, saying that more than 50 people, including leader of the Palestinian Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah, were wounded in the attack.
The news trickled through the Israeli military censorship which has sought to block the reporting of any information about the casualties.
A report on the Israeli radio said the censorship was aimed at covering up the number of casualties brought to Israeli hospitals for treatment.
Meanwhile, Israeli Trade and Industry Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer expressed regret for the deaths aboard the Gaza aid ships.
"The images are certainly not pleasant. I can only voice regret at all the fatalities," he told Israel's Army Radio.
The comments come as the first official acknowledgement by Tel Aviv that the attack had turned fatal.
Israel had initially declined to comment on the reports of casualties from the takeover of the aid ships.
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