Between nine and nineteen activists died today in international waters when  commandos attempting to break the Israeli .  gave the death toll to be at least 10. Israeli television says that 19 people were killed and 36 were wounded in the confrontation. The six vessels, called the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, were carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid destined for the  , including water purifiers, prefabricated homes and medical equipment. Passengers include several and MPs from Germany, Belgium, Algeria and Israel. The pre-dawn boarding took place in international waters around 150 kilometres (90 miles) off the coast of Gaza. Footage from on the flotilla's lead vessel, the , and video released by the IDF, showed armed Israeli commandos boarding the ship from helicopters and fighting with activists. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the activists attacked the commandos with batons, knives and axes. Israeli Prime Minister  said; of the United Nations  said he was "shocked by reports of killings and injuries of people on boats carrying supplies for Gaza" and called for "a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place" and urged Israel to "urgently provide a full explanation". Palestinian Authority President  called for three days of mourning to commemorate what he called the "massacre" of protesters. , the Hamas leader in Gaza, has dubbed the Israeli action as "a crime". The  's foreign policy chief, , has called on Israeli authorities to launch a "full inquiry" into the killing. She "reiterates the European Union's position regarding Gaza - the continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive." Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was "deeply concerned" and France said "nothing can justify" the incident. Sweden, Austria, Greece and Spain have said it was important to "quickly establish" what happened, and have summoned the Israeli ambassadors. Gaza flotilla clash demonstration in Belfast. The British Foreign Secretary  has called on the Government of Israel to open all crossings for aid to enter Gaza and said Israel should "address the serious concerns about the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situation and about the effect on a generation of young Palestinians‪." Russia calls attention to the fact that the Israeli interception of a Gaza-bound international aid flotilla took place in international waters, which it said represents a gross violation of international law.  President has urged the international Middle East mediators Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union to persuade Israel to end its blockade of Gaza. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Europe. In Greece and France there was clashes with police. There were protests in cities around the Ireland, UK and Italy. In the Middle East there were protests in Turkey, Lebanon and Iran. Irishman , a former assistant secretary general of the United Nations and the Northern Irish  laureate, , are aboard the only boat left in the convoy, the Irish vessel, named after . The vessel is now on the way to the  . The Irish Prime Minister Mr Cowen said he believed Israel’s blockade of humanitarian assistance to Gaza was illegal under international law.
Between nine and nineteen activists died today in international waters when Israeli Defense Force commandos attempting to break the Israeli . Benjamin Netanyahu gave the death toll to be at least 10. Israeli television says that 19 people were killed and 36 were wounded in the confrontation. The six vessels, called the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, were carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip , including water purifiers, prefabricated homes and medical equipment. Passengers include several and MPs from Germany, Belgium, Algeria and Israel. The pre-dawn boarding took place in international waters around 150 kilometres (90 miles) off the coast of Gaza. Footage from on the flotilla's lead vessel, the , and video released by the IDF, showed armed Israeli commandos boarding the ship from helicopters and fighting with activists. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the activists attacked the commandos with batons, knives and axes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said; of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon said he was "shocked by reports of killings and injuries of people on boats carrying supplies for Gaza" and called for "a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place" and urged Israel to "urgently provide a full explanation". Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for three days of mourning to commemorate what he called the "massacre" of protesters. , the Hamas leader in Gaza, has dubbed the Israeli action as "a crime". The European Union 's foreign policy chief, , has called on Israeli authorities to launch a "full inquiry" into the killing. She "reiterates the European Union's position regarding Gaza - the continued policy of closure is unacceptable and politically counterproductive." Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was "deeply concerned" and France said "nothing can justify" the incident. Sweden, Austria, Greece and Spain have said it was important to "quickly establish" what happened, and have summoned the Israeli ambassadors. Gaza flotilla clash demonstration in Belfast. The British Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on the Government of Israel to open all crossings for aid to enter Gaza and said Israel should "address the serious concerns about the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situation and about the effect on a generation of young Palestinians‪." Russia calls attention to the fact that the Israeli interception of a Gaza-bound international aid flotilla took place in international waters, which it said represents a gross violation of international law. European Parliament President has urged the international Middle East mediators Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union to persuade Israel to end its blockade of Gaza. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Europe. In Greece and France there was clashes with police. There were protests in cities around the Ireland, UK and Italy. In the Middle East there were protests in Turkey, Lebanon and Iran. Irishman , a former assistant secretary general of the United Nations and the Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate, , are aboard the only boat left in the convoy, the Irish vessel, named after . The vessel is now on the way to the Gaza Strip . The Irish Prime Minister Mr Cowen said he believed Israel’s blockade of humanitarian assistance to Gaza was illegal under international law.
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Israeli Defense Force
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Benjamin Netanyahu
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Gaza Strip
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Benjamin Netanyahu
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Ban Ki-Moon
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Mahmoud Abbas
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European Union
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William Hague
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European Parliament
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Nobel Peace Prize
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Gaza Strip