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Israel Responds to the UN Report on the Flotilla Incident
(Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) The State of Israel has adopted the Palmer Report which deals with the flotilla incident of 31 May 2010, with the exception of the reservations detailed by the Israeli representative to the Palmer Commission, Joseph Ciechanover (see below). The Palmer Report confirmed the legality of Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, and Israel's right to enforce the blockade, including in international waters. This naval blockade was put into place to prevent the smuggling of missiles and other weapons to Hamas, a terror organization which controls Gaza and is supported by Iran. Over the last few years, Hamas has fired over 10,000 rockets and mortar shells with the objective of striking Israeli civilian targets. While enforcing the naval blockade, Israel has interdicted many vessels on their way to the Gaza Strip with no casualties. In the case of the Mavi Marmara flotilla, Israeli soldiers boarded the vessels with non-lethal means and with no intention of causing any harm. When they were brutally attacked by dozens of violent IHH activists armed with clubs, knives and steel pipes, the Israeli soldiers were forced to defend themselves. Israel once again expresses its regret over the loss of life, but will not apologize for its soldiers taking action to defend their lives. Beyond ratifying the legality of the blockade, the report determines that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and that anyone interested in sending humanitarian aid to Gaza must do so in coordination with Israel and the Palestinian Authority.