Military sources said the commando force fought with hundreds of
passengers for 30 minutes before the Israelis reached the bridge of Marmara.
They said the commandos had been briefed to expect a ship of pro-Hamas
activists rather than trained Islamic fighters.
"It appears that the error in planning the operation was the estimate
that passengers were indeed political activists and members of humanitarian
groups who seek a political provocation, but would not resort to brutal
violence," Israeli military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai said.
The Israeli military said seven naval commandos were injured in the
capture of Marmara. The military said the Islamist operatives aboard Marmara
employed pistols as well as firebombs, knives and clubs.
"IDF naval forces were met with premeditated violence, evident by the
activists' use of clubs, metal rods, and knives, as well as the firing of
two weapons stolen from the soldiers, causing for defensive action on behalf
of the forces who felt their lives were endangered," the military said.
Officials said the military had been prepared for the prospect of
non-lethal resistance by pro-Hamas activists aboard Marmara. But they said
the naval commando force underestimated the rapid response of the Turkish
Islamists, many of whom were believed to have completed military service.
"The organizers are well known for their ties with global Jihad, Al
Qaida and Hamas," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said. "They have a
history of arms smuggling and deadly terror. On board the ship we found
weapons prepared in advance and used against our forces."
Officials said the flotilla was guided by Hamas during the voyage to the
Gaza Strip. They said the Islamist fighters aboard Marmara had planned to
take Israeli hostages as well as down a nearby Israeli military helicopter
in an attempt to overcome the Israel Navy. The other six vessels in the
flotilla did not resist the navy interception.
"The soldiers on Marmara were in life-threatening danger and employed
weapons," Israel Navy commander Vice Adm. Eli Marom said. "They first tried
using anti-riot equipment, then they used live fire to save themselves. The
result of 10 dead could have been much worse had the soldiers behaved
differently."
Officials said the Navy plan was for commandos to be lowered from
a helicopter onto the deck of Marmara, rush the captain's quarters and order
the ship to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Instead, the initial Israeli force,
armed with paintball rifles, encountered scores of Turkish fighters who
attacked the commandos with bats, clubs and knives.
"I saw the tip of a rifle sticking out of the stairwell," an
unidentified commando said. "He fired at us and we fired back. We
didn't see if we hit him. We looked for him later but couldn’t find him."
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