Israel admits Gaza flotilla raid 'mistakes'

[Devil Soul]

An Israeli military inquiry into the naval raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla says commandos were under-prepared and mistakes were made at a senior level.

The report says the operation suffered from flawed intelligence-gathering and inadequate planning.

But it also praised the commandos involved and found the use of force had been the only way to stop the flotilla.

Eight Turks and one Turkish-American died in the naval raid in international waters, which provoked a major outcry.

The report criticised the operation's planners for not having a back-up plan in the event of violence.

But it also said the mission had not been a failure and did not recommend any dismissals.

'Professional and courageous'
It said there had been a lack of co-ordination between military and intelligence bodies, and preparations for the 31 May takeover of the ships had been inadequate.

As they dropped from helicopters on to the deck of one vessel, the Mavi Marmara, Israeli forces were met with a violent reception, from some of those on board who were armed with clubs and knives and at least one gun, found the report.

Presenting the findings to media in Tel Aviv, retired general Giora Eiland, who chaired the investigating panel, had both criticism and praise.

"In this inquiry we found that there were some professional mistakes regarding both the intelligence and the decision-making process and some of the operational mistakes," he said.

"But also, we did find some very positive findings, and one of them that should be emphasised is the very professional and courageous way that the Israeli commando behaved."

General Eiland said the report was intended to help prepare Israel for similar situations which may occur in the future.

The Eiland Committee, which began its work on 7 June, scrutinised the military aspects of the raid.

A separate inquiry, which includes international observers, is examining whether international law was broken during the military raid.

In a statement, Israeli military chief of staff Lt Gen Gabi Ashkenazi said the Eiland inquiry had not revealed failures or negligence, but "brings up mistakes which must be corrected for future incidents".

Israel has resisted calls for a UN-led inquiry into the raid, saying it would be biased.

The operation prompted an international backlash and has severely strained Israel's relations with its once-close Muslim ally Turkey.

Amid the criticism, Israel eased its land blockade on the Gaza Strip, allowing most civilian goods through.

The naval blockade remains in place. Israel says it is necessary to keep weapons from reaching the Islamist Hamas movement, which controls Gaza.
BBC News - Israel admits Gaza flotilla raid 'mistakes'

 

[Speaker]

Israel made mistakes in Turkish ship raid, panel finds

By Janine Zacharia
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, July 12, 2010; 1:30 PM
JERUSALEM -- An internal Israeli review of the navy's raid against a Turkish aid ship faulted planners Monday for not formulating alternative plans and concluded that the agencies involved should have shared intelligence more efficiently before the operation.

"The operation relied excessively on a single course of action, albeit a probable one, while no alternative courses of action were prepared for the event of more dangerous scenarios," the report said.

The eight-man review panel was established by Israel's military chief of staff following the May 31 incident, in which Israeli naval commandos killed eight Turks and one Turkish American after meeting resistance from activists. The operation led to broad criticism of Israel internationally and to modifications of Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is meant to isolate the Hamas-led leadership there.

"There were mistakes that were made in various decisions, including in relatively high echelons, that led to the unexpected result," said retired Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, a former head of Israel's National Security Council, who led the inquiry.

Still, at least in the short excerpts that were released publicly from the 100-page report, the team did not single out any specific commanders for censure. Rather, it found that the presence of an Israeli navy commander at sea during the operation "proved effective in terms of the decision making process" and "saved lives."

Naval commandos operated "properly, with professionalism, bravery and resourcefulness," the report said. "The use of live fire was justified" and "the entire operation is estimable."

The report concluded that between four and six Israeli soldiers were fired on with live fire and that one of those injured was shot in the knee by a non-Israeli issued firearm, suggesting that the activists had brought at least one gun on board. The inquiry also found that passengers had cut off banisters from the ship to use as weapons against the soldiers.



A separate, broader inquiry is still underway, and being led by a retired Israeli Supreme Court justice. Turkey and others have demanded an impartial international investigation, a request that Israel has denied.

The release of the military inquiry came as a Libyan aid ship continues to make its way to the Gaza coast. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called the Libyan ship a "provocation" and urged the ship to re-route either to Israel's port in Ashdod or to Egypt's Al-Arish port.

Special correspondent Samuel Sockol contributed to this report.