Israel ramps up campaign against Gaza aid flotilla
As organizers of a flotilla seeking to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip prepare to embark on their voyage, Israeli officials are mounting an increasingly vocal campaign to discredit the activists, depicting them as planning violence against troops preparing to intercept the ships.
The effort reflects a high level of concern among Israeli officials with the potential impact of the maritime protest. Israeli commandos who boarded a Turkish ship in a similar flotilla 13 months ago encountered resistance and killed nine people, provoking international condemnation that forced Israel to ease its land blockade of Gaza.