Just Journalism
'We fired because we were attacked', says Israeli captain in Gaza flotilla op
Captain wounded in mission says mob of activists pounced on the troops, approaching them with knives and batons.
The Israel Navy commandos who on Monday raided a flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid had no choice but to defend themselves against the violent activists, a captain of the elite marines unit who carried out the operation said Tuesday.
"We knew there would be resistance, but not at such a strong level," said Captain R., who led one of the teams and was wounded in the mission. "Every [activist] that approached us wanted to kill us."
Captain R. was the second commando to be dropped from a military helicopter onto the Turkish-flagged ship. During the mission, a large mob of the activists hurled him from the upper to lower deck of the ship.
From the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Captain R. said that every commando who entered the ship was met by a number of activists who charged at the soldiers and attacked them. At least 75 percent of the activists took part in what the soldiers later described as a "lynch."
"I was the second to be lowered in by rope," said Captain R. "My comrade who had already been dropped in was surrounded by a bunch of people. It started off as a one-on-one fight, but then more and more people started jumping us. I had to fight against quite a few terrorists who were armed with knives and batons."
The captain said that he was first forced to cock his gun and shoot once when one of the activists came toward him with a knife.
"At that point, another twenty people starting coming at me from every direction," said Captain R. "They jumped at me and hurled me to the deck below the bridge. Then I felt a stabbing in my stomach – it was a knife. I pulled it our and somehow managed to get to the lower level. There, was another mob of people."
Go to Haaretz to view the rest of the story.
BBC News website ignores Israeli soldier's testimony
‘At that point, another twenty people starting coming at me from every direction…They jumped at me and hurled me to the deck below the bridge. Then I felt a stabbing in my stomach – it was a knife. I pulled it our and somehow managed to get to the lower level. There, was another mob of people.’
Just Journalism sent this information to the BBC at 4pm and one article was subsequently updated to include some of the new information.
However, the top BBC story headline has since been updated to read: ‘Witnesses cast doubt on Israel's convoy raid account’ and a new story is being presented, featuring testimony from protesters on board who dispute that any knives were present on board the ship:
The first pro-Palestinian activist to be quoted said:
‘This was not an act of self-defence," said Mr Paech, a politician, as he arrived back in Berlin wrapped in a blue blanket.
‘Personally I saw two and a half wooden batons that were used... There was really nothing else. We never saw any knives.’
The second activist quoted by the BBC said:
‘We wanted to transport aid to Gaza," she said. "No-one had a weapon.”’
Just Journalism will be following up on why the BBC is ignoring evidence which corroborates Israel’s version of events and granting dominance to testimony which challenges it.