The ship Challenger One sped up along its course in an attempt to allow journalists to take their photos of the ongoing raid. Huwaida Arraf, an American activist who was on the "Challenger One" reported that Israeli soldiers attacked any one who tried to block them from taking over the vessel with kicks, tasers, and stun grenades.
Activist Huwaida Arraf reported that once on board the Challenger One, Israeli troops seized all communication equipment, cameras, mobile phones, radios and memory cards from activists.
Former UK diplomat Ed Peck, who was on board the ship Sfendoni, said that the Israelite troopers were well-trained, and behaved well. The soldiers scuffled with a few activists trying to block their access to the wheelhouse, but there were no major injuries, Peck said. Paul Larudee, a 64-year-old former language professor from El Cerrito, California on board the "Sfendoni", was beaten and tased according to his family by the US Consul General and his lawyers; his family has reported that Israeli consular officials informed them that Larudee, a pacifist, was beaten after not to follow the orders of troops.
Crewman Shane Dillon reported that Israeli troops used stun guns, broke the nose of a Belgian woman among them, and beat another passenger. Australian photojournalist Kate Geraghty was attacked and tasered by Israeli troops aboard the "Challenger One", while attempting to photograph the raid.
Kutlu Tiryaki, a captain of the other vessel in the flotilla, said that the passengers did not have weapons at all, but only came to bring aid in a peaceful manner.
The final ship in the convoy gave in as it was raided and hoist a white flag.
9-19 were said to be dead and 32-50 were said to injured. 10 of the injured were Israelis and 1 of the dead was a Turkish politician . Israel has confirmed four being dead. Among the dead is İbrahim Bilgen, a Turkish politician from the Felicity Party.
At least 32 activists who had been aboard the ships were arrested and incarcerated by the Israel Prisons Service, after they refused to sign deportation orders, including two who were wounded but refused hospital treatment.
Israel said that the navy forces "found weapons ready in advance and used against our forces." IDF photos displayed knives, metal and wooden poles, flares, wrenches and slingshots with marble projectiles said to have been used against the soldiers. The activists were said to have also lobbed stun grenades at IDF soldiers, and the IDF showed video illustrating this. The Israeli searches of the ship found bulletproof vests, night-vision goggles, and gas masks.
A press-release by the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel said that violence against the soldiers was already planned, and that "light weaponry" was found on the ships, including pistols that would have been seized from activists on the "Mavi Marmara" by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.
A close-up picture presented to readers of "Jerusalem Post" as: "The array of equipment found on board the ships that made up the Gaza aid flotilla was as divergent as the flotilla’s stated aims", showed some knives and clubs. Israeli troops also admitted to finding wheelchairs, cleaning supplies and baby milk onboard both the ships.
A high ranking Norwegian officer stated after watching pictures that "This is not military equipment", and that most of the tools and kitchen knives would belong on a ship.
High ranking Officials in the Customs Undersecretariat called the Israeli "complete nonsense".
For the most part, the diplomatic result was unfairly harsh to Israel.
Egypt opened its Rafah Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow medical aid to enter following world criticism of the raid. Hamas's leader Khaled Meshaal call for the border to be opened eminently.
The Israeli blockade itself against Gaza itself is not illegal, and it's okay for Israeli ships to operate in international waters to enforce it," said Allen Weiner, former U.S. State Department
The German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", said UN worldwide law says countries are not allowed to extend their rule on areas outside of their coastal waters. In Israel’s case, a from the coast.
South Africa's Ambassador left Israel and returned to South Africa as a form of protest.
Turkey's deputy parliament speaker, Guldal Mumcu, said "[t]his attack was an open violation of United Nations rules and international law," and that "Turkey should seek justice against Israel through national and international legal authorities. The parliament expects the Turkish government to revise the political, military and economic relations with Israel, and to take effective measures."
Lawyer Dr. Turgut Tarhanlı of the University of Istanbul cited the ideal of innocent passage, under which vessels are given safe travel rights in a manner which is not "prejudicial to the peace, good order or the security" of the state.
Cyprus stated its belief that NGOs must be allowed to do their work freely and lawfully. Further, it called for the lifting of the blockade of Gaza.
The rogue state of North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israel, which "mercilessly killed or wounded dozens of civilians aboard the boats." It went on to call the attack "crime against humanity perpetrated at the U.S. connivance and under its patronage and a blatant challenge to the Arabs including Palestinians and the Mideast peace process". The statement also "expresses full support and solidarity with the cause of the Palestinians and other Arab people"
The rogue state of Iran Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei condemned the savage attack of the Zionist regime against an international aid convoy heading towards Gaza, and said the Israeli regime proved that it is more brutal than Fascists. Iran president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said that the incident was an "inhuman action of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people" and that it would bring the regime "closer than ever to its end." The Iranian government has called for a boycott of Israel. Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili high lighted the need among regional and Islamic states to confront the Zionist regime of Israel effectively. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the raid, saying "the incident once again revealed the criminal and war-mongering nature of the Zionist regime." Iran also on the UN Security Council and the OIC to take swift punitive action against Israel.
The Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen described the attacks as "very serious" and stated that he feels the blockade action was a violation of international law. He also stated that people are allowed to receive humanitarian assistance.Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said he was "gravely concerned"
French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned "the out sized use of force" against the flotilla.
Belgium's foreign minister, Steven Vanackere, called the use of Israeli force "disproportionate" and "invited the Israeli ambassador to explain how things happened."
The Bosnian representative at the UN Security Council, Ivan Barbalić, condemned the Israeli attack, called for an investigation and wanted Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza.
China Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu condemned Israel's raid on the international convoy and urged Israel to carry out UN Security Council resolutions and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry demanded the quick release of two Bulgarian journalists travelling in the convoy. In addition, Bulgaria condemned the attack, saying "nothing can justify the violence that resulted in the killing of over 10 people on board one of the ships." It called for an investigation.
Protest rallies hit the streets of Tottenham, Paris, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt and Malaysia.
The Czech Republic had gone out in support for Israel and declared that the Turkish flotilla was made to provoke Israel in to a military or political trap.