JERUSALEM—A special meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet in Jerusalem disclosed on Tuesday that 40 people with the Gaza flotilla are members of al-Qaeda. The individuals, who have not been identified, were aboard the Mavi Marmara and had bulletproof vests, night vision goggles, and weapons including knives, clubs, axes, and mace.
The 40 individuals had no identification papers, and a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) did not explain how the link to al-Qaeda was established, simply saying they were investigated.
“We had intelligence on some of the people,” said Avital Leibovich, a spokesperson for the IDF.
According to Leibovich, the al-Qaeda connection was leaked by an unidentified member of the Israeli Parliament following Tuesday morning’s security cabinet briefing.
While no evidence has been provided thus far to back up the claim, the IDF is calling the 40 individuals “mercenaries belonging to the al-Qaeda terror organization.”
According to the IDF, the individuals wore bulletproof vests, and carried night vision goggles, and weapons. They all also had the exact same amount of a large cash sum in their pockets.
Other protesters aboard the Marmara were on the lower deck when Israeli commando forces landed on the ship early Monday morning, local time. The group of 40 remained on the top deck to fight.
Video released so far has shown that they sprayed commandos alongside the ship with water hoses and whipped at them with chains. Other commandos who descended by rope onto the ship deck from helicopters were beaten with metal poles, ambushed by groups of 10-15 people at a time, and shot at.
No video or detailed information has been released showing or describing how passengers on the Marmara were injured and killed. Nine passengers have been confirmed dead by official and unofficial sources.
“This was not a flotilla for peace, but instead was a violent and organized force,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. “We have films and photographs which show what our soldiers faced, but the last thing that can be said about this ship is that it was a flotilla of peace.”
All nine protesters who were killed on the Mavi Marmara are believed to be Turkish nationals backed by the IHH, an Islamist Turkish group with connections to al-Qaeda. The organization has been investigated by the intelligence operations of several countries including the United States, France, and Turkey.
Of the several activist organizations that participated in the flotilla, the IHH is the only one that has been linked to terrorist activities.
An estimated 30 people were injured aboard the Marmara, including seven IDF personnel. The injured were taken to Israeli hospitals, while the estimated 700 flotilla activists were taken to a prison in Be’er Sheva, Israel. After identifying themselves to immigration authorities, 45 members of the group were released.
It is estimated that 400 of the 700 individuals aboard the ships were Turkish; 76 were journalists.
With reporting from New York and Jerusalem.
The 40 individuals had no identification papers, and a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) did not explain how the link to al-Qaeda was established, simply saying they were investigated.
“We had intelligence on some of the people,” said Avital Leibovich, a spokesperson for the IDF.
According to Leibovich, the al-Qaeda connection was leaked by an unidentified member of the Israeli Parliament following Tuesday morning’s security cabinet briefing.
While no evidence has been provided thus far to back up the claim, the IDF is calling the 40 individuals “mercenaries belonging to the al-Qaeda terror organization.”
According to the IDF, the individuals wore bulletproof vests, and carried night vision goggles, and weapons. They all also had the exact same amount of a large cash sum in their pockets.
Other protesters aboard the Marmara were on the lower deck when Israeli commando forces landed on the ship early Monday morning, local time. The group of 40 remained on the top deck to fight.
Video released so far has shown that they sprayed commandos alongside the ship with water hoses and whipped at them with chains. Other commandos who descended by rope onto the ship deck from helicopters were beaten with metal poles, ambushed by groups of 10-15 people at a time, and shot at.
No video or detailed information has been released showing or describing how passengers on the Marmara were injured and killed. Nine passengers have been confirmed dead by official and unofficial sources.
“This was not a flotilla for peace, but instead was a violent and organized force,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. “We have films and photographs which show what our soldiers faced, but the last thing that can be said about this ship is that it was a flotilla of peace.”
All nine protesters who were killed on the Mavi Marmara are believed to be Turkish nationals backed by the IHH, an Islamist Turkish group with connections to al-Qaeda. The organization has been investigated by the intelligence operations of several countries including the United States, France, and Turkey.
Of the several activist organizations that participated in the flotilla, the IHH is the only one that has been linked to terrorist activities.
An estimated 30 people were injured aboard the Marmara, including seven IDF personnel. The injured were taken to Israeli hospitals, while the estimated 700 flotilla activists were taken to a prison in Be’er Sheva, Israel. After identifying themselves to immigration authorities, 45 members of the group were released.
It is estimated that 400 of the 700 individuals aboard the ships were Turkish; 76 were journalists.
With reporting from New York and Jerusalem.
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