EGYPT has undercut Israel by breaking its three-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, as the international community heightened condemnation of Israel over its attack on the Gaza aid flotilla.
Egypt said it was opening its border with Gaza for the first time in more than a year to allow in humanitarian aid, setting off a mad rush to the crossing by thousands from both sides of the frontier.
Following a call by NATO for the immediate release of the 600 protesters being held in Israeli jails, Israel began a major operation yesterday to deport them all.
Five Australians were on boats in the aid flotilla – four were held in prison in Beersheba, including two from the Australian media who were believed to have the option to leave overnight, but only if they signed an agreement to stay out of Israel for 10 years.
A fifth Australian, a man shot in the leg during the Israeli commando raid, was expected to leave once he had recovered.
At least nine people were killed and 30 injured when Israeli commandos raided the flotilla in international waters as it carried protesters from 38 countries.
The Israeli military confirmed that the bulk of cargo on the flotilla was medical equipment and humanitarian aid, and no guns or weapons were found.
The Israelis displayed some of the seized cargo, including boxes of medicine, wheelchairs, hospital beds and wheelchairs, but claimed Gaza had enough of these.
“The equipment we found is all equipment we have regularly allowed into the Strip over the past year,” said Colonel Moshe Levi, commander of Israel’s Gaza Strip administration unit.
Angry recriminations escalated in Israel, with Yossi Sarid, a former minister and leading figure in the Labor and Meretz parties, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner cabinet as “seven idiots”.
“As preparations for the big sea confrontation proceeded, it became increasingly clear it would end badly,” he wrote on the front page of Haaretz. “After all, the troops were being prepared by seven idiots and their subordinates – people who cannot see beyond the ends of their noses.”
Israeli officials said about 300 Turkish protesters were bused to Tel Aviv airport yesterday, while about 150 Arabs and Muslims from countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations were taken to the Allenby land crossing, to go to Jordan.
The departures came as Israel faced growing condemnation in major international organisations including NATO, the European Union and the UN.
Turkey, a traditional ally of Israel which takes part in joint military exercises, escalated its condemnation of the Jewish state, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing the Israeli commando assault on the aid flotilla as “a bloody massacre”.
“Israel must definitely be punished,” Mr Erdogan said.
“Approaching civilian people as if they are terrorists is a great disappointment to humanity.”
The Turkish media attacked Israel, with one newspaper calling the raid “state terrorism”.
The majority of the protesters on the aid flotilla boats were Turkish, and Turkish academic Mustafa Kibaroglu told French television the relationship between Turkey and Israel was finished.
Israel’s version that the flotilla was warned by the Israeli forces and that the commandos responded to provocation was strongly disputed by Haneen Zoabi, a member of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, who was part of the flotilla.
“It was clear from the scale of the forces that boarded the boat the goal was not simply to block the flotilla but to cause a very large number of casualties to stop similar initiatives in the future,” the Israeli MP said. “We demand the establishment of a UN investigative commission in order to disprove the Israeli claims. This is an international issue because the passengers on the boats were citizens of different nations.”
Ms Zoabi added: “I didn’t hear any warning from the ships, because the main noise was from the helicopters and boats. In 10 minutes there were three bodies.”
But Mr Netanyahu rejected calls by the UN Security Council for an independent investigation into what occurred.
Israel maintains the commandos acted in self-defence after being attacked as they were lowered on to one of the boats from military helicopters.
And Mr Netanyahu defended the blockade of Gaza, which Israel has maintained for three years since Hamas was elected in the Gaza Strip. “It’s important to understand this is essential to protect Israel and its right to defend itself,” he said.
Two more aid ships are believed to be heading towards Gaza with the intention of attempting to break the blockade.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas rejected calls to abandon the indirect talks with Israel that began recently, with the US as mediator.
Mr Abbas is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington next week. And a meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Netanyahu, cancelled over the crisis, is to be held soon.
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