More than 16 people were killed and dozens were injured when Israeli troops attack the aid carrying ships from sea and air while on their way to break the [singlepic id=236 w=320 h=240 float=right] blockage on Gaza. The flotilla have hundreds of supporters and unarmed civilians who decided to join get on the ships and go to Gaza to try to break the siege which turned the life of the Palestinians there to become one of the worst in the world.

The Israeli army and Interior Minister decided to storm the flotilla and prevent it from moving forward towards Gaza. The result was killing more than 16 unarmed civilians and injuring dozens. Until this moment nothing is clear since Israel prevents any kind of communication from the ships and does not state where are the activists kept. The Turkish government is having a meeting to decide how turkey would react to the Israeli use of excessive force and the way it reacted with a peaceful flotilla as if it is a war ship.

The Israeli government prepared for its attack since few days claiming that if the flotilla reaches Gaza, it will be breaking the International law. The Israeli foreign ministry is currently preparing explanation teams that will try to minimize the damage that came as a result of the Israeli attack on the flotilla. Many organizations around the world are asking from the people to go out and demonstrate against the Israeli attack that they considered unlawful and completely against the International law and human rights.

The Israeli attack on the flotilla is not new since it is used to break the International Law only to prove that it is the strongest in any confrontation that it would face. Killing sixteen unarmed civilians and injuring tens of others only because they wanted to break a siege which is completely against the international law is a crime that Israel has to pay for. Treating a peace ship as if it is a war ship and using weapons and army equipment to deal with it shows the level which Israel reached while challenging the world and the international community.

Today Israel killed sixteen brave men who were brave enough to do something that the world had to do but did not; remind us of the children and people who are suffering in Gaza since years. Only a couple of years ago Israel killed more than 1400 Palestinians in Gaza which most of them were women and children. So what will happen tomorrow? Will be there another war against Lebanon or Syria or Gaza? And how many victims should fall down in order to convince the world that it is the time to put an end to the stubbornness, rebellion and paranoia which young children are paying a price for.

Israel must be questioned about this incident and International law must be applied exactly as it is applied on the others. A decision to join a state such as Israel that acts in such ways to the OECD must be revised and reconsidered. A free and democratic world that believes in norms and importance of human rights and international law must not sit down silently which such actions are made.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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