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The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six civilian ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine activists and no Israelis were killed on one ship during the raid, but ten Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously. One further Turkish activist died later of his wounds. Three of the six flotilla ships, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), were carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel had warned the flotilla to abort their mission, describing it as a provocation.

On 31 May 2010, Israeli Shayetet 13 naval commandos boarded the ships from speedboats and helicopters in order to force the ships to the Israeli port of Ashdod for inspection. On the Turkish ship MV ''Mavi Marmara'', according to the Israel's own Turkel Commission, the Israeli Navy faced resistance from about 40 of the 590 passengers, including IHH activists – described in the commission's report as a separate "hardcore group" – who were said to be armed with iron bars and knives. According to flotilla organizer Greta Berlin, the Israeli soldiers did not start firing until an activist seized a gun from one of them. During the struggle, nine activists were killed, including eight Turkish nationals and one Turkish American, and many were wounded. On 23 May 2014, a tenth member of the flotilla died in hospital after being in a coma for four years. Ten of the commandos were also wounded, one of them seriously.

According to a UN report, all activist deaths were caused by gunshots, and "the circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution." The five other ships in the flotilla employed passive resistance, which was suppressed without major incident. According to the UN report, several of the passengers were injured and the leg of one was fractured. The ships were towed to Israel. Some passengers were deported immediately, while about 600 were detained after they refused to sign deportation orders; a few of them were slated for prosecution. After international criticism, all of the detained activists were also deported.

The raid drew widespread condemnation internationally and resulted in a deterioration of Israel–Turkey relations. Israel subsequently eased its blockade on the Gaza Strip. All surviving activists were freed, though only the Turkish and Greek ships were returned. Israel confiscated and continued to hold the other ships, as well as most of the property (including all media recordings) of over 700 passengers, .

There were several probes into the incident. A UNHRC report in September 2010 into the incident deemed the blockade illegal and stated that Israel's actions were "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality", with evidence of "willful killing". The UNHRC later also set up a panel of five human rights experts to examine the conclusions of the Palmer report. The panel stated that Israel's blockade of Gaza amounted to collective punishment and was unlawful. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a parallel probe in August 2010 by a four-member panel headed by Geoffrey Palmer. The Palmer report was published on 2 September 2011 after being delayed, reportedly to allow Israel and Turkey to continue reconciliation talks. The report found that the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza was legal, and that there were "serious questions about the conduct, true nature and objectives of the flotilla organizers, particularly IHH". The report also found that the degree of force used against the ''Mavi Marmara'' was "excessive and unreasonable", and that the way Israel treated detained crew members violated international human rights law.

Israel has offered Turkey $20 million in compensation for the raid. On 22 March 2013, in a half-hour telephone exchange between Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the former apologized on behalf of his nation; Erdoğan accepted the apology and both agreed to enter into further discussions. On 29 June 2016, the agreement was finalized and approved by the Israeli government.

History

The operation, code named ''Operation Sea Breeze'' or ''Operation Sky Winds'' was an attempt to block the Free Gaza Movement's ninth attempt to break the naval blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip. Israel proposed inspecting the cargo at the Port of Ashdod and then delivering non-blockaded goods through land crossings, but this proposal was turned down. Israeli forces then raided and seized the Gaza-bound ships in international waters of the Mediterranean.

Israeli Navy warships flanked the flotilla and an aircraft flew overhead after it ignored Israeli instructions. Speedboats were prevented from approaching the ''Mavi Marmara'' by throwing broken dishes and metal chains. The other ships were boarded from speedboats. Israeli forces were met by passive resistance on five of the ships, but clashes broke out aboard the ''Mavi Marmara''. A team of 15 Israeli Shayetet 13 naval commandos abseiled onto the ships from helicopters with paintball guns, plastic bullet riot dispersal handguns, and hidden firearms. The first team commander was thrown over the deck head down, abducted and stabbed, along with a second commando, and a third was grabbed off the rope. They were taken to an inside room and medically treated by the activists, who left the knife in the commander's stomach. A stun grenade from the abducted soldiers was thrown at the commandos and a handgun was allegedly taken from one soldier and fired by an activist, who was intercepted. The commandos were ordered to use live fire. In the melee, five activists were killed, and two, wounded by rubber bullets, died a short time later. begins with discussion of Haneen Zoabi Arab Israeli member of Israeli parliament. Minute 9:06shows activist acknowledging the paintball and looking at the laser pointers. 1:13First Israeli commando team landing on top deck. 5:48"They're holding two soldiers down here bleeding and wounded". 6:18two of the wounded not checked. Later 1:18preventing the entrance to the ships internals. 3:30Wounded getting wrong treatment by activist "fake doctor". 4:48beginning of treatment, shirt is ripped off, real doctor puts finger on injury and says: "Blastick". According to the Israeli timeline video, within 5 minutes the roof was secured, with the assistance of an extra 15-man commando unit. Only 15 minutes later the commandos began the ship takeover with live ammunition and a third team of fighters. The soldier's captors escaped, and the Israeli commander pulled the knife out of his body and jumped overboard along with a second soldier. The third, with a severe head injury, was left and found by his comrades later. The raid ended with nine activists killed, and dozens injured. A UNHRC fact-finding mission described six of the nine passengers' deaths as "summary execution" by the Israeli commandos. A BBC documentary concluded that Israeli forces had faced a violent premeditated attack by a group of hardcore IHH activists, who intended to orchestrate a political act to put pressure on Israel. The programme was criticised as "biased" by critics of Israel and the PSC (Palestine Solidarity Campaign) questioned why the IDF boarded the ship at night if it had peaceful intention. Seven Israeli commandos were injured in the skirmish. After seizing control of the ships, Israeli forces towed them to Ashdod and detained the passengers. Both sides place responsibility for the bloodshed on the other, and accounts of the events vary.

The raid prompted widespread international reactions and demonstrations around the world. The United Nations Security Council condemned "those acts resulting in civilian deaths", demanded an impartial investigation of the raid, and called for the immediate release of civilians held by Israel. Israel released all passengers of the flotilla by 6 June 2010. The incident threatened the already deteriorating relations between Turkey and Israel. Turkish president Abdullah Gül described the raid as an attack on Turkey for the first time since World War I.

Israel initially rejected calls from the United Nations and world governments for an international investigation into its raid on the Gaza aid flotilla, but later agreed to cooperate with an investigation conducted by the United Nations. Israel formed the Turkel Committee to investigate the raid. The committee, headed by retired Supreme Court of Israel judge Jacob Turkel, included two international observers. The conclusions of an internal inquiry by the Israel Defense Forces under retired general Giora Eiland were presented to the chief of staff, Gabi Ashkenazi on 12 July 2010. Eiland's report found that the naval commandos had carried out their duties with professionalism, bravery and resourcefulness, and the commanders had exhibited correct decision making. The report further determined, "the use of live fire was justified and that the entire operation was estimable." In August 2010, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the U.N. would conduct an investigation of the incident. A separate investigation was conducted by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The findings of this committee, published on 22 September 2010, called the Israeli operation "disproportionate" and condemned its "unacceptable level of brutality". The UN Human Rights Council had also condemned the raid in June, before its investigation. Another resolution backing the report was passed despite American opposition and EU abstention. Israel accused the UNHRC of a biased, politicized and extremist approach. Benjamin Netanyahu described the actions of the soldiers as a clear case of self-defense. The Israeli Supreme Court, which rejected several local legal suits against the flotilla raid, wrote in its verdict, "the soldiers were forced to respond in order to defend their lives."

Five shipments had been allowed through prior to the 2008–09 Gaza War, but all shipments following the war were blocked by Israel. This flotilla was the largest to date. An Islamic aid group from Turkey, the İHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı) (Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief) sponsored a large passenger ship and two cargo ships.

On 22 March 2013 Netanyahu apologised for the incident in a 30-minute telephone call with Erdoğan, stating that the results were unintended; the Turkish prime minister accepted the apology and agreed to enter into discussions to resolve the compensation issue. Following the telephone apology, Israel's Channel 10 television channel reported that compensation talks had commenced; however, a disparity became immediately apparent, as Turkey sought $1 million for each of the flotilla deaths, while Israel response was $100,000.

, an agreement was made between the two nations in regard to three points:
# Compensation will only be paid to the family members of the people killed aboard the ''Mavi Marmara'';
# Confirmation of a signed commitment from Turkey, whereby Turkey will be unable to sue Israel over the incident;
# The Turkish government will return the monetary compensation to Israel in the event that civilian lawsuits are ever filed by Turkish citizens.

A meeting was also planned for the discussion of future relations between Turkey and Israel.

One of the participants of the Gaza flotilla, Sinan Albayrak, told the Turkish newspaper '' Akşam'' in response to the Israeli apology, " at is the importance of the apology? 'We killed nine people and are sorry' – of course it sounds ridiculous. I say this is what the state should have done. If urkeyonly had prevented this at the start. But we asked for it. We went there ourselves." According to ''Hürriyet Daily News'' Semih Idiz, some Turkish citizens are even suggesting that those involved with the Mavi Marmara incident should also bring charges against the Turkish state for playing a prominent role in supporting the Mavi Marmara's mission and for failing to prevent the death of nine Turks on the ship.

The flotilla

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel questioned the humanitarian motives of flotilla organizers, saying it had invited the organizers to use the land crossings but they had refused.

Three of the flotilla ships carried only passengers and their personal belongings. Whereas in previous voyages, Free Gaza vessels carried 140 passengers in total, in this flotilla, over 600 activists were on board the ''Mavi Marmara'' alone.

Three other ships carried cargo: 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid, with an estimated value of $20 million. Reports disagree about the presence and quantity of paramilitary equipment.

For the initial leg of the voyage, six of the eight ships set out on 30 May 2010 from international waters off the coast of Cyprus; the remaining two were delayed by mechanical problems.

Pre-raid sabotage rumors

The IDF or the Mossad may have sabotaged three of the ships before the raid. According to the ''National Post'', Israeli deputy defense minister Matan Vilnai hinted that Israel had exhausted covert means of stalling the vessels. He said: "Everything was considered. I don't want to elaborate beyond that, because the fact is there were not up to 10, or however many ships were riginallyplanned." A senior IDF officer hinted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that some of the vessels had been tampered with to halt them far from the Gaza or Israeli coast. According to UPI press coverage, the officer alluded to "grey operations" against the flotilla and said that no such action had been taken against the Mavi Marmara out of fear that the vessel might be stranded in the middle of the sea, endangering the people on board. Israel was accused of sabotaging activist ships in the past but no evidence has been found to back up these claims.

Three ships – the ''Rachel Corrie'', the ''Challenger I'' and the ''Challenger II'' – suffered damage or malfunction. While the ''Challenger I'' was able to continue, the ''Challenger II'' had to turn back halfway through the journey and ''Rachel Corrie'' docked for repairs in Malta. Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement said that electric wires may have been tampered with.

Ships

The ships of the Gaza flotilla raid comprised three passenger ships and three cargo ships:
* ''Challenger 1'' (small yacht), United States, Free Gaza Movement
* MS ''Eleftheri Mesogios (Free Mediterranean)'' or ''Sofia'' (cargo boat), Greece Greek Ship to Gaza
* ''Sfendoni'' (small passenger boat), Greece Greek Ship to Gaza and European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza
* MV ''Mavi Marmara'' (passenger ship), Comoros, İHH
* ''Gazze'', Turkey, İHH
* ''Defne Y'', Kiribati, İHH

Two other Free Gaza Movement ships had mechanical problems: ''Challenger 2'' (USA flagged) had to turn back halfway through the voyage and MV ''Rachel Corrie'' ( Cambodia flagged) docked in Malta for repairs and continued separately.

Raid

A few minutes after 9:00 pm, Sa'ar 5-class corvettes INS ''Lahav'' and INS ''Hanit'', and the Sa'ar 4-class missile boat INS ''Nitzachon'' left Haifa naval base to intercept the flotilla. The three warships had speedboats, UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and 71 Shayetet 13 commandos on board. The Israeli Navy made initial contact with the flotilla at 11 p.m. (2000 UTC) on 30 May, about northwest of Gaza, off the coast of southern Lebanon, in international waters, ordering the ships to follow them to port or otherwise be boarded.

The Shayetet 13 commandos who participated in the operation underwent a month of training prior to the operation, including dummy takeovers of a ship at sea with fifty soldiers performing the role of activists. The Israeli Navy said that the soldiers were trained for "a Bil'in-type opposition". Ron Ben-Yishai, a veteran Israeli correspondent aboard the Israeli missile boat ''INS Nitzachon'', reported that the assessment was that the passengers would show "light resistance and possibly minor violence". The soldiers were armed with paintball guns, stun grenades, tasers, and pistols as sidearms, which were attached to their backs. The soldiers had orders to confront protesters and peacefully convince them to give up, and if not successful, to use non-lethal force to commandeer the ship. They were instructed to use their sidearms only in an emergency when their lives were at risk.

Ahead of the operation, the soldiers were briefed by Vice-Admiral Eli Marom, the commander of the Israeli Navy. Marom stated that the IDF had no intention of harming any flotilla passengers and would act professionally. He also warned soldiers that the passengers could provoke them in ways such as throwing cigarettes, spitting, and cursing, but, "we do not respond to these types of actions. We act as professional soldiers do".

The Israeli Navy radioed Tural Mahmut, the captain of the ''Mavi Marmara'', sending him this message: "Mavi Marmara, you are approaching an area of hostilities, which is under a naval blockade. The Gaza coastal area and Gaza Harbour are closed to all maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and invites you to enter Ashdod port. Delivery of supplies will be in accordance with the authorities' regulations and through the formal land crossing to Gaza and under your observation, after which you can return to your home ports aboard the vessels on which you arrived." The reply was: "Negative, negative. Our destination is Gaza." Shortly after, three Israeli warships began shadowing the flotilla. Two warships flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance. An Israeli aircraft also flew overhead.

Five days after the raid, IDF released an audio recording purporting to be of a radio exchange between the Israeli Navy and the flotilla. After Israeli warnings that the ships were approaching a blockade, voices responded "Go back to Auschwitz!" and "Don't forget 9/11". Denis Healey, the captain of ''Challenger I'', and activist Huwaida Arraf who was on the bridge of the ship, disputed the authenticity of the recording. Israel conceded that it was impossible to trace who made the comments, or from which ship because they were made on an open channel. An Israeli journalist who was on board an IDF ship confirmed the IDF accounts.

Hours before the raid, the head of the İHH, Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, declared, "We're going to defeat the Israeli commandos–we're declaring it now. If you bring your soldiers here, we will throw you off the ship and you'll be humiliated in front of the whole world." Later, according to the crew, a group of about 40 İHH activists took over the ship.

The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC), an Israeli non-governmental organization that, according to ''Haaretz'', is "widely seen as an unofficial branch of Israel's intelligence community", said that, based on laptop files and passenger testimony, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had prior knowledge that the activists on the flotilla would use violence. In addition, the ITIC said a group of 40 "militant" activists boarded before the rest of the passengers, were not searched as they boarded, and that İHH President Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım had briefed this group with a mission of keeping Israelis from taking control of the ship.

The IDF identified a group of some 50 men who were responsible for attacking IDF soldiers. The members of this group were not carrying identity cards or passports, but each carried an envelope with some $10,000 in cash. The Israeli defense establishment suspected that the funding may have come from elements in the Turkish government. One member of the group, who was identified as its ringleader, travelled to Bursa to recruit members. The members were stationed in groups throughout the ship, mostly on the upper deck, and communicated with each other via walkie-talkies. The members were well-trained and equipped with gas masks and bulletproof vests.

The ''Mavi Maramara'' activists were divided into two groups, "peace activists" and a "hardcore group". Video footage shows the "hardcore group" activists prepared before the raid, praying together while wearing uniforms, taking their gas masks and makeshift weapons, and getting into position. Activists dressed in protective clothing from construction materials.

''Mavi Marmara'' boarding

The boarding of the '' Mavi Marmara'' started in the early morning at 4:30 IST. The operation began with an attempt to board the ship from speedboats. As the boats approached, activists fired water hoses at them and pelted them with a variety of objects. The Israelis replied with paintballs and stun grenades. One stun grenade was picked up and tossed back into a boat. When the commandos tried boarding the ship, activists cut the ladders with electric disc saws. The boats then turned slightly away from the ship, but remained close.

The IDF then sent in a Black Hawk helicopter with a 15-man assault team on board. According to the IDF, the commandos fired warning shots and dropped stun grenades prior to abseiling onto the ship. The UNHRC report on the incident concluded that the Israeli soldiers were firing live rounds from the helicopter before they landed anyone on the ship. Passengers reported gunfire, blue flares and deafening noise from the first helicopter at this time. Al Jazeera journalist Jamal Elshayyal stated that he saw one man shot in the head and others wounded. Robert Mackey of '' The New York Times'' suggested that the passengers on the ship may have mistaken flash grenades and paintball guns for deadly weapons, which enraged them. Activists and crew members used gas masks.

A rope was dropped from the helicopter onto the ship, but three activists seized it and tied it to the deck. A second rope was dropped and the soldiers abseiled onto the deck. Each soldier was met with a team of resisting activists, throwing them off balance and assaulting them with makeshift weapons. The IDF also reported that a firebomb was thrown at soldiers. Meanwhile, the Israeli commandos responded with their less-lethal weaponry and attempted to physically fight off activists.

Three Israeli commandos were captured. The first captured soldier, the commanding officer of the assault team, was abseiling from the helicopter when he was attacked by ten men before his feet hit the deck. He was beaten across his body and head, then picked up and thrown to the lower deck, where he was attacked by a dozen activists. They beat and choked him, removed his bulletproof vest and sidearm and smashed his helmet, and shoved him into a passenger hall below deck. The second soldier was surrounded by a team of fifteen to twenty activists in two groups. One group attacked him when he landed on the ship's roof. He fired one shot at an activist holding a knife before being subdued. The activists seized his gun and beat him as he attempted to fight them off with his back to the hull. He was picked up by his arms and legs, and thrown over the hull. He attempted to hang onto the hull with both hands but was forced to let go when activists beat his hands and pulled him down by his legs. He was then surrounded by another group of activists, stabbed in the stomach and dragged into a lounge while being beaten. A third soldier who was lowered onto the deck saw an activist waiting to attack him with an iron crowbar. After shoving him away, he was attacked by four more activists, one of whom wrapped a chain around his neck and choked him until he lost consciousness. He was then thrown onto the bridge deck, where he was attacked by about twenty activists, who beat him, cut away his equipment, and dragged him into the lounge. The three soldiers were severely wounded and bleeding heavily. Two of the soldiers had their hands tied, and a third was unconscious and went into convulsions. During their captivity, they were subjected to physical and verbal abuse and photographed and filmed. One of the soldiers said that he was beaten after he began moving and yelling that one of the soldiers needed a doctor, and another said that he was placed onto a couch, beaten, and threatened that he would be beaten every time he moved. Although radical activists attempted to harm them further, more moderate passengers intervened and protected the soldiers. Two were given water and one with a severe stomach wound was given a gauze pad. Hasan Huseyin Uysal, a Turkish doctor, cleaned the blood off their faces and tended to facial cuts.

Israel and the flotilla activists disagreed over whether guns seized from the captive soldiers were used by the activists. Commandos reported that at least two of the captive soldiers had their sidearms wrested away, and that there was live fire against them at a later stage. According to the IDF, activists also used firearms that they brought along with them, as investigators found bullet casings not matching IDF-issued guns. The IDF reported that the second soldier to descend from the first helicopter was shot in the stomach, and another soldier was shot in the knee. IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said that activists also seized three stun grenades from soldiers.

After the third soldier was thrown from the roof, the commandos requested and received permission to use live fire. The soldiers then opened fire with pistols, and activists dispersed to the front and back of the roof after taking casualties. An IDF medical officer on board located a secure spot and oversaw the treatment of injured soldiers. A second helicopter carrying 12 soldiers arrived over the ship. As the helicopter approached, activists attacked the IDF commandos, who repulsed them with gunshots aimed at their legs. At the same time, the speedboats trailing the ship approached again. They were met with a barrage of objects, including iron balls from slingshots, and allegedly with a burst of gunfire, forcing the boats to pull back again.

Soldiers from the second helicopter successfully slid down and moved to gain control of the front of the roof and secure the lower decks. Passengers attacked them and were dispersed with shots fired towards their legs. The first attempt to secure the lower decks was met with violent resistance, allegedly including live fire. Shortly afterward, a third helicopter arrived, carrying 14 soldiers. They successfully abseiled onto the ship, and the commander from the third helicopter met up with the commander from the second helicopter, after which the forces began moving towards the ship's bridge. They were attacked twice by activists and responded with gunfire. The commandos reached the bridge after thirty minutes and took command. Upon orders from the soldiers, the captain instructed all activists to enter their cabins. At this stage, most of the activists assembled on the sides of the ship retreated into the hull. The speedboats approached for the third time, and most of the remaining activists again hurled objects at the boats. Soldiers inside the boats then opened fire, taking careful aim to hit the resisting passengers and forcing the activists to disperse, enabling the soldiers to board from ladders. The soldiers were met with resistance and responded with live fire. They managed to fight their way to the roof, where they met up with the rest of the force. An assessment was made, and three soldiers were found to be missing. A force was prepared to rush the passenger halls and locate the soldiers. According to the IDF, soldiers spotted activists escorting the three captive soldiers onto the deck. One of the captive soldiers said that the activist guarding him waved to one of the IDF naval vessels to show that they were holding Israeli soldiers. At that point, he elbowed the activist in the ribs and jumped into the water, although the guard tried to hold him back. A second soldier also jumped into the water, while the third remained unconscious on the deck. IDF soldiers dispersed the activists with non-lethal weapons, and rescued the unconscious soldier, while the two soldiers in the water were picked up by the speedboats. According to some accounts by activists and journalists, the captive soldiers were released after negotiations mediated by Haneen Zoabi, in which the IDF agreed to airlift the wounded in exchange for their release.
The passengers were taken one-by-one from their cabins and searched on deck. Some were handcuffed and forced to kneel for hours. Women, elderly men, and western nationals were temporarily handcuffed or uncuffed shortly afterward and allowed to sit on benches. During the course of the journey to Ashdod port, passengers were brought inside and allowed to sit down. According to the UNHRC fact-finding mission, passengers were subject to various forms of abuse.

IDF Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi testified to Israel's Turkel Commission that the IDF had fired 308 live rounds and about 350 bean bag rounds and paintballs. An aide to the general said that 70 of these shots were aimed to cause injury, while the others would have been warning shots. IDF Major-General Giora Eiland said that the IDF had found evidence of four instances of soldiers coming under fire from activists and that in at least one case, the fire came from weapons that were not stolen from commandos.

''Sfendoni'' boarding

The operation to take the ''Sfendoni'' took place at the same time as the boarding of the ''Mavi Marmara''. The ''Sfendoni'' attempted to evade Israeli naval vessels. According to one soldier, the ship attempted to run down his vessel and chased it after it evaded, but the IDF vessel made a sharp turn and positioned itself behind it. Speedboats approached the ship, and soldiers climbed onto the ship from ladders after firing plastic bullets, paintballs, and stun grenades. Some soldiers have shoved down a ladder onto the lower deck, where a group of passengers scuffled with soldiers, and an attempt was made to take a soldiers' weapon. Once on board, the soldiers advanced towards the bridge. A number of activists formed a human chain to block them, and the Israelis responded with electric shocks.

Retired diplomat Edward Peck, who was on board the ''Sfendoni'', said that the commandos were well-trained, and behaved reasonably well. When two soldiers entered the bridge, an activist grabbed the wheel tightly and protested that the boat was in international waters. A scuffle then ensued between soldiers and a few activists. The soldiers used physical force, electric shocks, and stun grenades to gain control, but there were no major injuries.Direct link to the video.
(Greek) Paul Larudee, a 64-year-old former linguistics professor from El Cerrito, California, on board the ''Sfendoni'', was beaten and tased according to his family, who said that Israeli consular officials informed them that Larudee, a pacifist, was beaten after refusing to follow the orders of troops.

When the boat was under Israeli control, activists were made to sit down and restrained with plastic ties. One man who complained that the plastic ties were too tight had them removed, then ran and jumped overboard, and was picked up by another boat. Passengers were searched one by one and then taken to the main salon. They were allowed to prepare food, but refused to eat until an IDF cameraman ceased filming them.

''Free Mediterranean'' boarding

Swedish author Henning Mankell reported that the capture of the ''Free Mediterranean'' took place about an hour after the raid on the ''Mavi Marmara''. Israeli soldiers boarded the ship from three speedboats, and managed to bypass barbed wire that had been placed around the ship. The passengers formed a human ring on the bridge to block the soldiers, and Israeli troops responded by using physical force, electric shocks, plastic and rubber bullets, paintballs, and tear gas. A reporter for the German newspaper '' Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' wrote that Israeli soldiers approached passengers with guns drawn and tasered a 65-year-old person from a distance of ten centimeters. All of the passengers were handcuffed and subjected to body searches and had their passports confiscated. Those who refused to cooperate were reportedly met with physical force.

''Challenger 1'' boarding

The ''Challenger 1'' accelerated its course in an attempt to allow journalists on board to broadcast their photos of the ongoing raid. The ship was intercepted by two Israeli speedboats and a helicopter, and carried out evasion tactics, forcing the Israelis to pursue it for a considerable distance. According to passengers, at least one stun grenade was launched at the ''Challenger 1'' before it was boarded. Passengers on the decks formed a human chain to block the path of the troops. Soldiers opened fire with paintball guns and rubber and plastic bullets as they boarded the vessel, lightly injuring two female demonstrators. Once on board, the Israelis moved towards the fly bridge. The soldiers encountered verbal abuse, and attempts were made to shove soldiers. Some activists barricaded themselves in cabins. Activist Huwaida Arraf reported that Israeli soldiers attacked those who tried to block them with kicks, tasers, and concussion grenades, and that some people were beaten so severely that they had to be hospitalized. Arraf said that the Israelis smashed her face against the ground and stepped on it, and that they later handcuffed her and put a bag over her head. Another woman similarly had a bag placed over her head. First mate Shane Dillon reported that Israeli troops broke the nose of a Belgian woman and beat another passenger. Australian photojournalist Kate Geraghty was tasered while attempting to photograph the raid. Upon entering the bridge, the troops were met with no resistance.

Passengers were handcuffed with plastic ties. Activist Huwaida Arraf reported that Israeli troops confiscated communication equipment, cameras and memory cards. Upon entering Ashdod port, several passengers joined hands and refused to disembark, protesting that they had been brought to Israel against their will from international waters. Two female passengers were handcuffed and forcibly removed, while a male passenger was threatened with a taser.

''Gazze 1'' boarding

The ''Gazze 1'' was boarded by soldiers from speedboats. Passengers and crew on board offered no resistance, and the ship was commandeered without incident. Passengers were ordered onto the deck while dogs searched the ship, and were later taken to the dining hall and body-searched. They were not handcuffed, and provided with food during the journey to Ashdod.

''Defne Y'' boarding

Israeli commandos abseiled from a helicopter onto the ''Defne Y''. The ship's crane had been positioned in such a way as to make it hard or impossible to abseil onto the deck, forcing troops to descend directly to the roof. Soldiers met no physical resistance as they secured the ship, but reportedly encountered verbal abuse. Passengers cooperated with the soldiers, were not handcuffed, and were kept in their cabins during the trip to Ashdod. An İHH cameraman on board the ''Defne Y'' claimed to have been beaten and interrogated for five hours over a hidden videotape.

Casualties

Flotilla participants

Deaths

The raid resulted in the deaths of ten activists. Nine were killed during the raid: Cengiz Akyüz (42), Ali Haydar Bengi (39), İbrahim Bilgen (61), Furkan Doğan (18), Cevdet Kılıçlar

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