Israeli troops were not ready for the violent resistance they met when they boarded a Gaza-bound aid ship and killed nine pro-Palestinian activists, the country's top military officer said today.
Speaking to an inquiry, Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Gabi Ashkenazi gave the most detailed explanation so far of what went wrong with the military plan in the May 31st raid, which sparked an international outcry.
Israeli commandos failed to clear the decks with stun grenades they used, and rappelled from their helicopter straight into a brawl with men wielding iron bars and knives and were even met by gunfire, Lieut Gen Ashkenazi said.
The raid quickly became "chaotic", he said. "After the first soldier went down the rope there was no choice but to continue with the plan."
International condemnation of the raid persuaded Israel to ease its Gaza blockade, which it says is aimed at preventing arms reaching the Hamas-ruled territory but also aggravates the privations of 1.5 million mostly aid-dependant Palestinians.
The nine activists killed were Turks. The raid almost ruptured Israel's relations with once-close Muslim ally Turkey.
The raid was seen at home as a debacle for Israel in terms of public relations and international image, although most Israelis consider the interception justified in principle.
Lieut Gen Ashkenazi was the third senior figure to address the inquiry this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak appeared before it.
The commission offers a closely managed forum where Israeli leaders can argue their case. Its summary and that of a military inquiry are due to be sent to an independent investigation which opened at the United Nations in New York yesterday.
The investigating panel has so far heard mostly pre-scripted statements. Cameras are turned off and reporters excluded for a closed-door question session that follows an initial open session. Israeli media have treated the inquiry with scepticism, focusing predominantly on what they see as buck-passing and finger-pointing in the top ranks of the leadership.
Mr Netanyahu, Mr Barak and Lieut Gen Ashkenazi conceded that intelligence was imperfect. The general said: "we didn't know enough" about the Turkish activist group whose members were on deck.
Reuters