operation ‘sea breeze’

Military-Strategic Information Section

Strategic Division // Israel Defense Forces

Operation ‘Sea Breeze’

01 June 2010

Flotilla Background

Operation 'Sea Breeze' – Legal Aspects

Interception of the Ships

Following the Interception

The IHH

Contents

Information Update


Strategic Division // Israel Defense ForcesThe Gaza Strip Context

2006 2007 2008 2009

Unilateral Disengagemen

t

2005

PA Elections

Shalit Kidnapped

Hamas Coup State of CalmOperation Cast

Lead

401

1722

1276

2048

56653

854

55

15311668

287 390

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Rockets Mortars

2010

Increased deterrence



Unclassified || Slide 3

Naval Blockade Background

International Law demands that a blockade fulfill a number of conditions in order to render it legal. For example, the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflict at Sea (1993) requires:

The Naval Blockade on Gaza

Due Notice

The date the blockade begins, the duration and coordinates must be published to every country which may find it relevant.

Effectiveness

The blockade must be fully enforced.

Discrimination

The blockade must hold true for vessels from every country.

Purpose

Proportionality Neutral Access

The goal of the blockade must not be to punish the population or refuse supplies vital for its survival.

The damage to the population must not exceed the military advantage.The blockade must not prevent access to neutral ports.




Flotilla Background

On April 28th, a number of organizations, led by the IHH, announced that they intended to sail a flotilla to the Gaza Strip coast, despite a naval blockade which was imposed during operation Cast Lead.

Israeli Response

The boats were scheduled to arrive in the region on May 24th, together with the Rachel Corrie, which departed from Ireland on May 17th. Due to technical difficulties, the ships began to arrive to the pre-defined gathering point, south of Cyprus, on Friday, May 28th.

Beginning in April and continuing until the moment before the ships were intercepted, the option of transferring the supplies to Gaza through the existing land crossings were offered, pending security clearance. In addition, it was made clear that no ships would be allowed to breach the legally imposed blockade.




Name: 'Mavi Marmara'Flag: TurkeyMaximum Speed: 10 knotsHeight: 19 metersLength: 93 metersMade in: 1994

Name: 'Defne Y'Flag: KiribatiMaximum Speed: 12 knotsHeight: 15 metersWidth: 95 metersCargo Capacity: 4412 tonsMade in: 1980

Participating Ships




Name: 'Gazze'Flag: TurkeyMaximum Speed: 12 knotsHeight: 10 metersWidth: 68 metersCargo Capacity: 2000 tonsMade in: 1981

Name: 'Eleftheri Mesogeios‘ (Sofia)Flag: GreeceMaximum Speed: 11.5 knotsHeight: 10 metersWidth: 64 metersCargo Capacity: 1133 tonsMade in: 1967

Participating Ships




Name: Challenger 1Flag: St Vincent and GrenadineMaximum Speed: 20 knotsLength: 30 meters

Name: SFENDONH - Boat 8000Flag: TogoMaximum Speed: 15 knotsLength: 30 metersWidth: 7 meters

Participating Ships




Enforcing Naval Blockades

The entry of a vessel into a blockaded area without permission constitutes a breach of the naval blockade. According to International Law, if there is reasonable ground to believe that the vessel has breached the blockade, it may be captured. If the vessel refuses to stop, in certain circumstances proportional use of force is permissible.

Attempted Breaching of the Blockade

A vessel may be captured when attempting to breach a naval blockade if there is reasonable ground to believe that the vessel intends to breach it, even before the vessel reaches the blockaded territorial waters. In such a case, the capture must take place outside of territorial waters:

Attempted breach of blockade occurs from the time a vessel or aircraft leaves a port or

airfield with the intention of evading the blockade…“ ”

The Commander’s Handbook on the Laws of Naval Operations, US

Navy




Interception of the Ships

On 31 May, at 0428, numerous warnings were broadcast to ships as they approached the Gaza Strip, clarifying that continued progress would not be allowed.

After the calls to stop were ignored, Israeli commandos boarded the ships. Soldiers boarding the the Mavi Marmara were violently attacked by means of weapons stoles from IDF soldiers, knives, broken glass, clubs, slingshots and other improvised weapons prepared in advance.

Intercepting the Ship

The boarding soldiers were shot at, stabbed, thrown overboard, attacked and lynched by the ship passengers. IDF soldiers opened fire on the attackers as a last resort in their attempts at self-defense. 7 Israeli soldiers were injured, 2 seriously. Among the protesters, 9 were killed and 34 were injured.




Video

Navy Warnings Prior to Arrival

http://bit.ly/deniLo




Weapons

We will definitely resist and we will not allow the Israelis to enter

here… if Israel wants to board the ship, it will meet strong resistance.“ ”

Bulent Yildrim, Head of the IHH, May 30th, 2010




Video

Closeup - Violence on Board – Side View

http://bit.ly/9SQY0N




Weapons Onboard the Ship

http://bit.ly/cmt7mH

Video




Following the Interception

Injured passengers were evacuated by helicopter and boat to four hospitals in Israel:

Beilinson : 14

Ein Karem : 4

Tel Hashomer 8

Rambam 6

The ships were diverted to Ashdod Port by Israeli naval vessels. Here, passengers were given medical examinations and screened for security purposes, as were their possessions. Having completed this, passengers were asked to sign deportation notices. Those who agreed are deported and those refusing are transferred to a detention center.

Passengers (665)

Mavi Marmara 530

Challenger 17

SFENDONH 48

Gazze 18

Sofia 31

Defne Y 21

Procedure Once in Port

Barzilay 2

“

”

Every person who came down the ropes, was grabbed by three

or four people and violently assaulted. We were lynched.

They had metal rods, knives, slingshots,

and glass bottles. At some point, live fire

was shot at two of our soldiers.

Testimony of one of the Navy commandos on the ‘Mavi Marmara’

“

”

There were guys who they threw off the top deck, and who were stripped of their gear. They

jumped into the sea as a last resort …Testimony of one of the

Navy commandos on the ‘Mavi Marmara’




IHH

The IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi – Humanitarian Relief Fund) is a radical Islamic organization established in 1992, which registered formally in Istanbul in 1995 and is led by Bulent Yildrim. While its activities include legitimate humanitarian activity, it also includes the support of radical Islamic terrorist organizations.

The IHH participation in this flotilla included the purchase of three boats, including the Mavi Marmara, as well as providing aid to the

Hamas regime in preparing to receive the flotilla. Bulent Yildrim also admitted to having children and elderly on board as a deliberate human

shield (30 May 2010)

Hamas

The IHH openly supports the Hamas, as a member of the Union of Good (UoG), which supports Hamas institutes in the PA. UoG was defined a terrorist entity by the US government in 2008.

Global Jihad

IHH has links with the GJ in the Middle East, as well as including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. CIA reports in 1996 exposed the IHH’s connection with extreme groups.

Al-Qaeda

In 2006, a Danish research group showed IHH involvement in recruitment, the purchase of weapon and the planning of attacks

operation ‘sea breeze’

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