IPFS
Flotilla humanitarian activist 'shot 30 times' by Israeli pirate terrorists
Written by Forty Four O Nine Subject: TERRORISMBritain's Guardian newspaper quoted Yalcin Buyuk, the vice-chairman of the Turkish council of forensic medicine, as saying that the nine men were shot a total of 30 times.
Two men were shot four times, and five of the victims were shot either in the back of the head or in the back, Buyuk told the newspaper, based on preliminary autopsy reports.Ibrahim Bilgen, a 60-year-old activist, was shot four times in the temple, chest, hip and back, the autopsy revealed.
Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, when asked why a 60-year-old and 19-year-old, amongst others, were shot multiple times at close range, told Al Jazeera: "We learnt the hard way that terrorists can be of a variety of ages or backgrounds."
Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, who was travelling in the flotilla and witnessed the Israeli raid, confirmed that some passengers took apart some of the ship's railings to defend themselves as they saw the Israeli soldiers approaching.
He said that he witnessed some of the killings, and confirmed that at least "one person was shot through the top of the head from [the helicopter] above."
"After the shooting and the first deaths, people put up white flags and signs in English and Hebrew," he said.
"An Israeli activist [on the ship] asked the soldiers to take away the injured, but they did not and the injured died on the ship."
The deaths, which all took place on the lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, continue to draw widespread condemnation.
Turkish newspapers reported on Saturday that the prosecutor's office in Istanbul, in Turkey, had compiled enough evidence to press charges against Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, the defence mininster, and Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's chief of staff.
The charges would include murder, injury, attacking Turkish citizens on the open seas and piracy, Today's Zaman, the English-language daily, said.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, speaking during a televised speech said: "You [Israel] killed 19-year-old Furkan Dogan brutally. Which faith, which holy book can be an excuse for killing him?"
"I am speaking to them in their own language. The sixth commandment says "thou shalt not kill". Did you not understand? I'll say again. I say in English "you shall not kill". Did you still not understand? So I'll say to you in your own language. I say in Hebrew 'Lo Tirtzakh'."
Talking about Hamas, he said: "[They] are resistance fighters fighting for their land. They are Palestinians.
Three Turkish activists wounded in the raid arrived back home on a medical plane on Friday. Another two volunteers who were seriously wounded remain in an Israeli hospital, with a Turkish plane on stand-by to repatriate them, Recep Akdag, Turkey's health minister said.
The US said that it would investigate the death of Dogan, the youngest killed in the attack, who had joint Turkish-US citizenship.
"We will look into the circumstances of the death of an American citizen, as we would do anywhere in the world at all times," Philip Crowley, a state department spokesman, said.
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3 Comments in Response to Flotilla humanitarian activist 'shot 30 times' by Israeli pirate terrorists
None of this really happened. All the video is doctored. The guy with the wound on his face is actually complaining about a wound he got while cutting himself shaving. These are all really good actors.
Wow Mike, whatever happened to the idea that ALL men are created equal? Why are you so bitter towards Muslims?
Very interesting coming from a guy who originally said the Israeli blockade and raid violated international law:
Helsinki Principles on Law of Maritime Neutrality: Par.: 5.2.10:" Blockade,i.e.the interdiction of all or certain maritime traffic coming from or going to a port or coast of a belligerent , is a legitimate method of navan warfare..........Neutral vessels...breaching a blockade may be stopped and captured. If they, after prior warning, clearly resist capture, they may be attacked".