Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and army chief Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi
In a special visit to the naval base at Atlit, north of Haifa, the Prime Minister told the soldiers that ”no naval force in the world” would have responded more ethically and better than they did.
He praised them for their attempt to use non-violent means to stop the Mavi Marmara ship and five sister ships from carrying out their mission to break Israel’s maritime embargo on Hamas-controlled Gaza.
After the ensuing clash that took place when the IHH terrorist activists attacked the commandos, the boat was taken to the Ashdod port, where it was discovered that there was no humanitarian aid on board the vessel, despite previously claims.
The clash on the Mavi Marmara resulted in several commandos being wounded – some of them kidnapped for a brief period of time – and nine IHH members, thoroughly trained in terror tactics, being killed.
IDF videos showed the commandos boarding the Mavi Marmara via ropes from a hovering helicopter armed with nothing but a paintball gun and a small revolver. Audio and video evidence later collected clearly showed the IHH activists as having prepared their attack on the commandos, beating them with metal rods as they helplessly descended on the ropes.
The IHH attackers used at least two handguns of their own, along with revolvers taken from the commandos, and shot at them. The Navy seals then overpowered them, and nine of them died by the time the clash was over.
