Israel to interdict another aid ship bound for Gaza

It is yet uncertain if the ship’s captain will head for Egyptian port of El-Arish or continue sailing towards Gaza. In its official log the vessel has El Arish as its destination.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will “forcefully interdict” the ship if it stayed on course for the besieged Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile,an internal military probe by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) into the May 31 incident aboard Turkish aid ship ‘Mavi Marmara’ released last evening has found “only professional mistakes in planning and carrying out the operation” by the Israeli navy,the newspaper said.

According to information made public,the committee found serious flaws in intelligence gathering on the flotilla,the cooperation between various intelligence organisations,the preparation of the operational plan and the takeover itself.

Israeli media reported that the probe report headed by Major General (res.) Giora Eiland’s was acceptable to the IDF’s General Staff.

Despite the damning conclusions,the committee did not recommend any punitive steps against individuals involved in the planning and the execution of the operation.

The committee’s 100-plus page report was presented yesterday to Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

“I was glad the investigation found that there were no flaws or negligence in anything significant,however there were mistakes at relatively high ranks,whose results were not what had been planned,” Eiland said in a statement.

He also noted that there were “some commendable things,” mostly in the way the naval commandos conducted themselves on the ship and in the evacuation of the injured.

During the takeover of the Mavi Marmara, Israeli troops faced violent opposition by a mob of activists who used metal bars,axes,firebombs and apparently also firearms.

Nine Turkish activists were killed and 51 injured,while nine Israeli naval commandos were injured,three seriously,in the ensuing clashes.

Israel has defended itself saying it had to stop vessels from travelling to Gaza since they could be carrying weapons for Hamas,an Islamist movement committed to the destruction

of Israel which controls that Palestinian territory.

The committee described the failures in the planning and preparation as “mistakes” and not “negligence”

The committee focused on the operational considerations of the IDF ahead of the takeover – in planning, intelligence gathering and the execution of the mission.

Army officials said in future it will not be possible to have “100 percent intelligence,” regarding attempts by ships to break blockade over Gaza,but this could not act as an excuse not to take action to block the flotillas.