FLASHPOINTS

By Jesse Strauss and Dennis Bernstein

Fatima Mohammadi was on board the Mava Marmara on May 31 when it was attacked in international waters by Israeli commandos who killed nine activists and wounded many more in stopping the Turkish-flagged ship from running the Gaza blockade.

After the attack, the Israeli government quickly released video showing the commandos descending by ropes from helicopters onto the top deck, followed by a melee as some activists resisted with sticks and knives. Read the rest of this entry →

Huwaida Arraf

Early on Monday, Israeli commandos descended on a convoy of humanitarian aid vessels in international waters, dubbed the Freedom Flotilla. Filled with over 700 activists and 10,000 tons of aid destined for Gaza, the boats were captured and their passengers either killed or seized and taken to Israel’s port in Ashdod.

Huwaida Arraf was one of those kidnapped activists, on board a US-flagged vessel called Challenger 1. In the following interview from Wednesday, June 2nd, Arraf recounted her experience during the commando attack, in Israeli detention, and her brutal release. It was the first extended interview that any of the Flotilla activists gave. Read the rest of this entry →

Professor Richard Falk

Leading UN Investigator for Human Rights in Occupied Palestine Says Israeli Commando Raid was “as clear a violation of international humanitarian law… as we are likely to see in the early part of the 21^st Century.” Read the rest of this entry →