via Live coverage: Aftermath of Israel’s flotilla raid
Article 47 legitimises naval blockades?
Brian Palmer: Is the Israeli Blockade of Gaza Against the Law? More or less.
Many consider Israel’s blockade to be on very shaky legal ground. Its status in the West Bank and Gaza is widely viewed as a belligerent occupation, despite the 2005 disengagement. Belligerent occupation is different from a true state of war and may not confer the technical right to form a blockade. Second, Sunday’s incident occurred 40 miles off the coast of Gaza, well outside the traditional blockade range. Finally, Israel has allegedly been firing on Palestinian fisherman, which is absolutely illegal.
Five acts of piracy carried out “without harm to soul to people”?
CNN:
Huwaida Arraf, one of the Free Gaza Movement organizers, told CNN Israeli troops roughed her up when they responded aggressively to her ship, a smaller one in the flotilla that was near the Turkish vessel where the casualties occurred.
“They started coming after our ship,” she told CNN, “so we took off and they charged us also. Eventually, they overtook our ship and they used concussion grenades, sound bombs and pellets.”
She said the people on her ship tried to keep them off. She said they were told the vessel was American and the people aboard were unarmed.
But, she said “they started beating people. My head was smashed against the ground and they stepped on my head. They later cuffed me and put a bag over my head. They did that to everybody.”