Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Operation ‘Sea Breeze’
01 June 2010
Flotilla Background
Operation 'Sea Breeze' – Legal Aspects
Interception of the Ships
Following the Interception
The IHH
Contents
Information Update
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense ForcesThe Gaza Strip Context
2006 2007 2008 2009
Unilateral Disengagemen
t
2005
PA Elections
Shalit Kidnapped
Hamas Coup State of CalmOperation Cast
Lead
401
1722
1276
2048
56653
854
55
15311668
287 390
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Rockets Mortars
2010
Increased deterrence
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 3
Naval Blockade Background
International Law demands that a blockade fulfill a number of conditions in order to render it legal. For example, the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea (1993) requires:
The Naval Blockade on Gaza
Due Notice
The date the blockade begins, the duration and coordinates must be published to every country which may find it relevant.
Effectiveness
The blockade must be fully enforced.
Discrimination
The blockade must hold true for vessels from every country.
Purpose
Proportionality Neutral Access
The goal of the blockade must not be to punish the population or refuse supplies vital for its survival.
The damage to the population must not exceed the military advantage.The blockade must not prevent access to neutral ports.
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 4
Flotilla Background
On April 28th, a number of organizations, led by the IHH, announced that they intended to sail a flotilla to the Gaza Strip coast, despite a naval blockade which was imposed during operation Cast Lead.
Israeli Response
The boats were scheduled to arrive in the region on May 24th, together with the Rachel Corrie, which departed from Ireland on May 17th. Due to technical difficulties, the ships began to arrive to the pre-defined gathering point, south of Cyprus, on Friday, May 28th.
Beginning in April and continuing until the moment before the ships were intercepted, the option of transferring the supplies to Gaza through the existing land crossings were offered, pending security clearance. In addition, it was made clear that no ships would be allowed to breach the legally imposed blockade.
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 5
Name: 'Mavi Marmara'Flag: TurkeyMaximum Speed: 10 knotsHeight: 19 metersLength: 93 metersMade in: 1994
Name: 'Defne Y'Flag: KiribatiMaximum Speed: 12 knotsHeight: 15 metersWidth: 95 metersCargo Capacity: 4412 tonsMade in: 1980
Participating Ships
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 6
Name: 'Gazze'Flag: TurkeyMaximum Speed: 12 knotsHeight: 10 metersWidth: 68 metersCargo Capacity: 2000 tonsMade in: 1981
Name: 'Eleftheri Mesogeios‘ (Sofia)Flag: GreeceMaximum Speed: 11.5 knotsHeight: 10 metersWidth: 64 metersCargo Capacity: 1133 tonsMade in: 1967
Participating Ships
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 7
Name: Challenger 1Flag: St Vincent and GrenadineMaximum Speed: 20 knotsLength: 30 meters
Name: SFENDONH - Boat 8000Flag: TogoMaximum Speed: 15 knotsLength: 30 metersWidth: 7 meters
Participating Ships
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 8
Enforcing Naval Blockades
The entry of a vessel into a blockaded area without permission constitutes a breach of the naval blockade. According to International Law, if there is reasonable ground to believe that the vessel has breached the blockade, it may be captured. If the vessel refuses to stop, in certain circumstances proportional use of force is permissible.
Attempted Breaching of the Blockade
A vessel may be captured when attempting to breach a naval blockade if there is reasonable ground to believe that the vessel intends to breach it, even before the vessel reaches the blockaded territorial waters. In such a case, the capture must take place outside of territorial waters:
Attempted breach of blockade occurs from the time a vessel or aircraft leaves a port or
airfield with the intention of evading the blockade…“ ”
The Commander’s Handbook on the Laws of Naval Operations, US
Navy
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 9
Interception of the Ships
On 31 May, at 0428, numerous warnings were broadcast to ships as they approached the Gaza Strip, clarifying that continued progress would not be allowed.
After the calls to stop were ignored, Israeli commandos boarded the ships. Soldiers boarding the the Mavi Marmara were violently attacked by means of weapons stoles from IDF soldiers, knives, broken glass, clubs, slingshots and other improvised weapons prepared in advance.
Intercepting the Ship
The boarding soldiers were shot at, stabbed, thrown overboard, attacked and lynched by the ship passengers. IDF soldiers opened fire on the attackers as a last resort in their attempts at self-defense. 7 Israeli soldiers were injured, 2 seriously. Among the protesters, 9 were killed and 34 were injured.
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 10
Video
Navy Warnings Prior to Arrival
http://bit.ly/deniLo
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 11
Weapons
We will definitely resist and we will not allow the Israelis to enter
here… if Israel wants to board the ship, it will meet strong resistance.“ ”
Bulent Yildrim, Head of the IHH, May 30th, 2010
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 12
Video
Closeup - Violence on Board – Side View
http://bit.ly/9SQY0N
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 13
Weapons Onboard the Ship
http://bit.ly/cmt7mH
Video
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 14
Following the Interception
Injured passengers were evacuated by helicopter and boat to four hospitals in Israel:
Beilinson : 14
Ein Karem : 4
Tel Hashomer 8
Rambam 6
The ships were diverted to Ashdod Port by Israeli naval vessels. Here, passengers were given medical examinations and screened for security purposes, as were their possessions. Having completed this, passengers were asked to sign deportation notices. Those who agreed are deported and those refusing are transferred to a detention center.
Passengers (665)
Mavi Marmara 530
Challenger 17
SFENDONH 48
Gazze 18
Sofia 31
Defne Y 21
Procedure Once in Port
Barzilay 2
“
”
Every person who came down the ropes, was grabbed by three
or four people and violently assaulted. We were lynched.
They had metal rods, knives, slingshots,
and glass bottles. At some point, live fire
was shot at two of our soldiers.
Testimony of one of the Navy commandos on the ‘Mavi Marmara’
“
”
There were guys who they threw off the top deck, and who were stripped of their gear. They
jumped into the sea as a last resort …Testimony of one of the
Navy commandos on the ‘Mavi Marmara’
Military-Strategic Information Section
Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces
Unclassified || Slide 17
IHH
The IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi – Humanitarian Relief Fund) is a radical Islamic organization established in 1992, which registered formally in Istanbul in 1995 and is led by Bulent Yildrim. While its activities include legitimate humanitarian activity, it also includes the support of radical Islamic terrorist organizations.
The IHH participation in this flotilla included the purchase of three boats, including the Mavi Marmara, as well as providing aid to the
Hamas regime in preparing to receive the flotilla. Bulent Yildrim also admitted to having children and elderly on board as a deliberate human
shield (30 May 2010)
Hamas
The IHH openly supports the Hamas, as a member of the Union of Good (UoG), which supports Hamas institutes in the PA. UoG was defined a terrorist entity by the US government in 2008.
Global Jihad
IHH has links with the GJ in the Middle East, as well as including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. CIA reports in 1996 exposed the IHH’s connection with extreme groups.
Al-Qaeda
In 2006, a Danish research group showed IHH involvement in recruitment, the purchase of weapon and the planning of attacks