Israeli commandos boarded ships of a flotilla — dubbed an “aid mission” of pro-Palestinian activists — headed for the blockaded Gaza strip. Fighting broke out and at least 10 people have been reported killed, with the death toll likely to rise.
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Trouble immediately broke out:
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One of the commandos told reporters he descended by rope from a helicopter onto one of the six ships in the convoy and was immediately attacked by a group of people waiting for them.
“They beat us with metal sticks and knives,” he said. “There was live fire at some point against us.”
A Reuters cameraman on the Israeli navy ship Kidon close to the six-vessel aid convoy said commanders monitoring the operation were surprised by the strong resistance put up by the pro-Palestinian activists.
One of the commandos said some of the soldiers were stripped of their helmets and equipment and a number were tossed from the top deck to a lower deck and then leapt into the sea to save themselves.
“They jumped me, hit me with clubs and bottles and stole my rifle,” one of the commandos said. “I pulled out my pistol and had no choice but to shoot.”
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In the supercharged atmosphere of the middle east, expect the fog of war in the media — which is where this war has been being fought for decades — to intensify, even if the actual conflict does not.
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But this can’t be good.
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