Israel attacks Gaza flotilla - live coverage | Gaza

9.10am:

More than 10 people have been killed after Israeli naval commandos boarded six aid ships in a convoy heading towards the Gaza Strip.

The fleet was carrying aid to the area, which is under a naval blockade. Israeli troops were attacked with guns, knives and clubs when they boarded the ships after having given repeated warnings, the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs said.

"During the interception of the ships, the demonstrators onboard attacked the IDF naval personnel with live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs," the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs said.

"Additionally one of the weapons used was grabbed from an IDF soldier. The demonstrators had clearly prepared their weapons in advance for this specific purpose."

The Free Gaza movement, which is behind the flotilla, is reporting a very different version of events.

"Under darkness of night, Israeli commandoes dropped from a helicopter onto the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara, and began to shoot the moment their feet hit the deck," the movement said on its website.

"They fired directly into the crowd of civilians asleep. According to the live video from the ship, two have been killed, and 31 injured. Al-Jazeera has just confirmed the numbers.

9.20am:

Here's the full statement from the Israel ministry of foreign affairs. In the interests of fairness I will post the full response from the Free Gaza Movement in the next post.

Early this morning (31 May), IDF naval forces intercepted six ships attempting to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. This happened after numerous warnings from Israel and the Israel navy that were issued prior to the action. The Israel navy requested the ships to redirect toward Ashdod where they would be able to unload their aid material which would then be transferred over land after undergoing security inspections.

During the interception of the ships, the demonstrators onboard attacked the IDF naval personnel with live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs. Additionally one of the weapons used was grabbed from an IDF soldier. The demonstrators had clearly prepared their weapons in advance for this specific purpose.

As a result of this life-threatening and violent activity, naval forces employed riot dispersal means, including live fire.

According to initial reports, these events resulted in over 10 deaths among the demonstrators and numerous injured; in addition, more than four naval personnel were injured, some from gunfire and some from various other weapons. Two of the soldiers are moderately wounded and the remainder sustained light injuries. All of the injured, Israelis and foreigners are currently being evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in Israel.

Reports from IDF forces on the scene are that it seems as if part of the participants onboard the ships were planning to lynch the forces.

The events are ongoing, and information will be updated as soon as possible. Israeli naval commander, vice admiral Eliezer Marom is overseeing the events.

In the coming hours, the ships will be directed to the Ashdod port, while IDF naval forces will perform security checks in order to identify the people on board the ships and their equipment. The IDF spokesman conveys that this event is currently unfolding and further details will be provided as soon as possible.

This IDF naval operation was carried out under orders from the political leadership to halt the flotilla from reaching the Gaza Strip and breaching the naval blockade.

The interception of the flotilla followed numerous warnings given to the organisers of the flotilla before leaving their ports as well as while sailing towards the Gaza Strip. In these warnings, it was made clear to the organisers that they could dock in the Ashdod sea port and unload the equipment they are carrying in order to deliver it to the Gaza Strip in an orderly manner, following the appropriate security checks. Upon expressing their unwillingness to cooperate and arrive at the port, it was decided to board the ships and lead them to Ashdod.

IDF naval personnel encountered severe violence, including use of weaponry prepared in advance in order to attack and to harm them. The forces operated in adherence with operational commands and took all necessary actions in order to avoid violence, but to no avail.

9.24am:

This is a rather different version of events from the Free Gaza Movement, which had two boats in the "Freedom Flotilla":

Under darkness of night, Israeli commandoes dropped from a helicopter onto the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara, and began to shoot the moment their feet hit the deck. They fired directly into the crowd of civilians asleep. According to the live video from the ship, two have been killed, and 31 injured. Al-Jazeera has just confirmed the numbers.

Streaming video shows the Israeli soldiers shooting at civilians, and our last SPOT beacon said: "HELP, we are being contacted by the Israelis."

We know nothing about the other five boats. Israel says they are taking over the boats.

The coalition of Free Gaza Movement (FG), European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), the Perdana Global Peace Organisation, Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza appeal to the international community to demand that Israel stop their brutal attack on civilians delivering vitally needed aid to the imprisoned Palestinians of Gaza and permit the ships to continue on their way.

The attack has happened in international waters, 75 miles off the coast of Israel, in direct violation of international law.

9.34am:

This video has been posted to YouTube by the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs. It appears to show an Israeli official issuing a warning to the flotilla.

9.43am:

ABC News is reporting that two Australians who were travelling on one of the aid boats have not been heard from since they were boarded.

The journalist Paul McGeough and photographer Kate Geraghty have apparently not made contact with Fairfax, the Australian media company, in the last six hours.

An Australian journalist and photographer onboard aid boats headed for the Gaza Strip have not been heard from since at least 10 people were reportedly killed during a clash with Israeli commandos.

A Fairfax spokesman says journalist Paul McGeough and photographer Kate Geraghty last made contact around noon (AEST) today while onboard the MV Samoud.

Israel's defence force says at least 10 people were killed when commandos stormed a convoy of six ships carrying aid to Gaza.

It was led by a Turkish vessel with 600 people on board and set sail for Gaza from international waters off Cyprus on Sunday in defiance of an Israeli-led blockade of the territory.

9.51am:

Sky News has posted this footage to its YouTube channel, some of which appears to have been shot on one of the ships. The video also looks to show some of the injured.

9.59am:

Our Jerusalem correspondent Harriet Sherwood is at a hospital in Ashkelon where she says the injured are arriving.

Sheikh Rayed Salah, leading Islamist figure among Arab citizens of Israel, undergoing emergency surgery. He is an important man. #flotilla

Harriet is posting regular updates on Twitter and is well worth keeping an eye on.

10.12am:

Alison Flood reports from the Guardian Hay Festival that the Swedish author Henning Mankell is caught up in the saga.

"Mankell is believed to be on the aid convoy which was heading for Palestine. The bestselling Swedish writer and creator of the Wallander detective series was scheduled to speak at the Hay Festival this weekend, but was forced to pull out after the flotilla was delayed as it negotiated entry into Israeli waters.

He was set to be beamed in live from the boat for an evening appearance on Saturday evening with Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif and interviewer Jon Snow, but the link didn't work; festival organisers called him numerous times but failed to connect."

10.18am:

Israel's ministry of foreign affairs has updated its account of the clash on its website. The ministry says pistols were found on two activists.

"According to reports from sea, on board the flotilla that was seeking to break the maritime closure on the Gaza Strip, IDF forces apprehended two violent activists holding pistols. The violent activists took these pistols from IDF forces and apparently opened fire on the soldiers as evident by the empty pistol magazines."

Israel says more than four naval personnel were injured, "some from gunfire and some from various other weapons". Two of the soldiers are moderately wounded, the minstry says, and the two others sustained light injuries.

10.27am:

This video from al-Jazeera English, who had a correspondent on one of the ships, appears to show troops boarding a vessel.

10.38am:

A source from the Free Gaza Movement has told the Guardian that 19 people are believed dead.

There were 27 Britons on board the ships, the contact says, including Sarah Colvin from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Kevin Ovenden.

Apparently the Britons are mostly on the Turkish ships, which the source says were attacked in international waters, not Israeli waters, which they say is technically an act of piracy.

There were eight ships in the flotilla, three of which the Free Gaza source names as 8,000 – a reference to the number of Palestinians in Israeli jails – Freedom and Rachel Corrie.

Three of the ships were from turkey, paid for by the main Turkish charity, IHH, three were from Greece, while one sailed from Ireland and the final ship possibly came from Algeria.

The dead possibly including Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement in Israel, according to the source, who says all contact with the ships is now lost.

10.44am:

Estimates of the number of people dead are varying – some sources saying 10, others 16, some 19.

Here's Harriet Sherwood's piece from Ashdod, where some of the boats are reported to be arriving.

10.54am:

Alison Flood has just spoken to Mikael Löfgren, spokesman for the ship Henning Mankell is on:
"We haven't heard from them since 5 this morning Swedish time," Löfgren said. "They were telling us then about the israeli soldiers climbing into the neighbouring ship, and they heard shooting aboard it. I was not speaking to Henning but to one of his friends. The Swedish ship was attacked a bit later, 10-15 minutes later. The whole attack was done between 4-5 o'clock Swedish time. " "We don't know what's happened since. When the ships were attacked the Israelis cut off all communications and we haven't heard from them since. As we speak I can see the ships coming into the harbour of Ashdod [on television] so I presume that's them." "We don't know if they're alright [including Mankell in that]. The numbers of the killed and wounded are rising all the time. The latest information is talking about 19 deaths. It's a really awful thing."

10.59am:

Declan Walsh, the Guardian's foreign correspondent for Pakistan and Afghanistan, emails:

The Pakistani foreign ministry has issued a statement expressing concern about the fate of one of the country's best-known television journalists, Talat Hussain, who's on board the flotilla, along with a local peace activist. Hussain's employer, Aaj television, says it hasn't heard from him since 6am (Pakistan time).

Declan says Pakistan and Israel "do not have diplomatic relations – in fact you can't even find Israel's code in the phonebooks here".

Here's the full statement from Pakistan:

The government of Pakistan strongly condemns the use of brazen force by Israel against a humanitarian mission that was embarked on delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza. The killing of members of this humanitarian mission, which also included women, is brutal, inhuman and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and norms.

The government of Pakistan is seriously concerned over the well-being and whereabouts of the Pakistani citizens and media personnel including Syed Talat Hussain and Raza Mahmood Agha who were on board the flotilla bound for Gaza.

The foreign ministry is in constant touch with its missions in the region to ascertain the well-being of our nationals.

11.04am:

Israel has advised its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey following "massive protests" there, Associated Press is reporting.

"The Monday advisory instructs Israelis already in Turkey to keep a low profile and avoid crowded downtown areas," the news agency said.

It adds that Turkey is just an hour's flight away and is a popular holiday destination for Israelis.

11.08am:

Ben Folley has emailed to point out that I've erred in my 10.38am post, naming a couple of Britons on board. Sarah Colvin should read Sarah Colborne – she is director of campaigns at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Kevin Ovenden is from the Viva Palestina charity.

11.19am:

@justicentric has got in touch on Twitter to point me to this raw footage of scenes on one of the ships.

If you've spotted anything you think I should be including in here, or if there's an angle or aspect you want us to follow up, give me a shout on Twitter @adamgabbatt or email adam.gabbatt@guardian.co.uk

11.29am:

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that there were around 10,000 demonstrators marching in Turkey, some of whom tried to storm Israel's consulate building in Istanbul.

Their article has a good round up of reaction from around the globe, here's a snippet:

In Jordan, hundreds demonstrated in the capital, Amman, to protest the Israeli action and demand that their government breaks diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

The Israeli ambassadors in Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Greece were summoned for meetings, and the French foreign minister called for an investigation. Activists from all of those European countries were on board the flotilla.

Besides swift, angry reaction from the Palestinians, strong condemnation came from the United Nations and the European Union.

Greece suspended a military exercise with Israel, and the Arab League called an emergency meeting.

The United Nations expressed "shock" and condemned the killings.

"We are in contact with the Israeli authorities to express our deep concern and to seek a full explanation," said a statement from the highest-ranking UN official in the region, Robert Serry.

11.34am:

The diplomatic row has stepped up a gear, with Turkey announcing it has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, according to Turkey's state-run agency.

Associated Press is also reporting that the Turkish deputy prime minister has announced Turkey is cancelling military drills with Israel.

More soon.

11.45am:

@martin_eve @adamgabbatt "could we have some coverage on the fact that #Israel and #flotilla are not showing as trending topics on Twitter. Censorship?"

There's quite a discussion of this going on on Twitter, with a lot of people suggesting using #FreedomFlotilla as the tag for posts. Flotilla certainly doesn't appear in the Twitter trending lists, but some users are suggesting it can't become a trending topic as 'Flotilla' is a registered Twitter account:

@MoneyMunot "twitter ain't blocking it... @flotilla is a twitter account, registered in NY/Montreal, that's why it can't trend..."

Not sure if that is true or not. I seem to remember Twitter accounts trending before. Suggestions welcome

11.53am:

@scordale @adamgabbatt "Did you notice if you search #flotilla it comes up with 'technical problem' why is this, are we being censored? Worrying."

Just tried the search for #flotilla myself and it doesn't seem to be working. And lots of people pointing out on Twitter that @freedomflotilla is a registered user, but is still trending.

Are #flotilla posts being restricted?

11.57am:

My colleague Maev Kennedy emails:

In a statement this morning, the Irish minister for foreign affairs, Micheál Martin, said he was "gravely concerned" over the incident. He said the department was seeking to confirm the safety of the eight Irish nationals who sailed with the Turkish led flotilla.

"The reports of up to 15 people killed and 50 injured, if confirmed, would constitute a totally unacceptable response by the Israeli military to what was a humanitarian mission attempting to deliver much needed supplies to the people of Gaza."

12.32pm:

The foreign secretary, William Hague, has called on the government of Israel to open all crossings for aid to enter Gaza and deplored the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza flotilla.

"‪‪I deplore the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza flotilla. Our embassy is in urgent contact with the Israeli government. We are asking for more information and urgent access to any UK nationals involved.‪ ‪

We have consistently advised against attempting to access Gaza in this way, because of the risks involved. But at the same time, there is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations. It will be important to establish the facts about this incident, and especially whether enough was done to prevent deaths and injuries. ‪

This news underlines the need to lift the restrictions on access to Gaza, in line with UNSCR 1860. The closure is unacceptable and counter-productive. There can be no better response from the international community to this tragedy than to achieve urgently a durable resolution to the Gaza crisis.

I call on the government of Israel to open the crossings to allow unfettered access for aid to Gaza, and address the serious concerns about the deterioration in the humanitarian and economic situation and about the effect on a generation of young Palestinians‪."

In other news, I am being ridiculed by colleagues for being a crazed conspiracy theorist (see 11.53am). Apologies.

Here's the Guardian's Charles Arthur, someone who actually knows what he's talking about, on why #flotilla wasn't trending.

12.45pm:

The Stop the War coalition is organising a protest outside Downing Street at 2pm today.

"Yet another act of Israeli barbarism as its forces storm one of the seven ships on the international flotilla taking aid to Gaza, where Israel's illegal seige is starving Palestinians of essential resources. At least 20 activists on board are reported to have been killed by Israeli forces. Please join the emergency demonstration today if you can. Publicise it as widely as possible by email, text, Facebook, Twitter etc."

We'll have more on that as it happens.

12.53pm:

I've just spoken to the brother of Jamal Elshayyal, a 25-year-old producer for al-Jazeera English who was reporting from one of the ships when it was boarded.

Abdul Rahman, 31, says his family have not been able to contact Jamal since the clashes. The family have been speaking to the Foreign Office, but have been unable to find out if Jamal is safe.

Abdule says you can see Jamal briefly in one of the videos below. Writing a longer post now.

1.20pm:

The shadow Foreign Secretary David Miliband, has issued a statement saying he is "deeply concerned by the incidents overnight."

Full text:

As I said in the House of Commons last week, a policy of neglect of Gaza is bound to fail.

The terrible death toll of the last 24 hours and the consequences for international relations demonstrate the urgency of international action in support of UN Resolution 1860.

I fully support the European Union's call for a full investigation into this most recent incident. The killing of innocent civilians is always to be condemned.

The humanitarian suffering in Gaza is completely unjustified and self defeating for all those concerned with political progress in the Middle East.

Vital supplies must be allowed into Gaza and the futile loss of civilian lives in this tragedy only increases that requirement.

My thoughts are with the families of those who have been killed and injured. My thoughts are also with the future of the Middle East.

The UK is a member of the United Nations Security Council and the European Union. It is vital that we make our voice heard both in respect of this immediate incident and for a comprehensive drive for peace. That is what I look for the Government urgently to provide.

1.29pm:

Alison Flood has learnt that the Irish activist Caoimhe Butterly was in the flotilla.

Alison is at Hay festival, where she's been speaking to the barrister Michael Mansfield.

"The main thing is that it was done in international waters which is illegal," he said.

"And it was not a convoy carrying military personnel. Israel does exactly what it wants and nobody lifts a finger. It's absolutely outrageous."

He pointed to an article in the Guardian in December by Nick Clegg, in
which the deputy PM said that the international community has got to do something if Israel doesn't end the blockade.

"I'm afraid he's got to be put on the spot when Philippe Sands interviews him [at Hay]," Mansfield said.

"Never mind the Iraq war - this is far more serious."

The Sauce news blog has posted a piece saying pressure is mounting on Clegg, given his article, which appeared in Comment is Free last year.

"The question this afternoon - as hundreds of protesters head to Downing Street to demand Government action - is whether Nick Clegg will sit on his hands in a further humiliating compromise with his new Conservative masters," the piece says.

1.36pm:

Ian Black, the Guardian's Middle East editor writes:

Commentators in Israel have drawing parallels between the Gaza flotilla incident and a similar case in 1988.

It was the second year of the first Palestinian intifada and the PLO leader Yasser Arafat, organized a group of Palestinian refugees and international supporters to board a "refugee ship" in Cyprus. The ship was given the symbolic name "al-Awda" (The Return).

The plan was to sail it to an Israeli port, forcing Israel either to sink or board the ship or let it land its refugees demanding their "right of return." Large numbers of journalists and observers were also on hand.

On February 14, the night before the ship was due to set sail, it was mysteriously blown up in Limassol harbour.

Responsibility for the sinking was never claimed but it was reported later that it was the work of an Israeli naval commando unit called Flotilla 13.

"It's not enough to be right," pundit Yoni Ben-Menachem told Israel Radio today. "You have to be smart as well."

1.49pm:

I've just spoken to Lauren Booth, sister of Cherie Blair, who was on the first ever Free Gaza mission that left from Cyprus in August 2008.

She's calling for the Foreign Office to expell Israeli diplomats, pending a full inquiry.

Booth has been helping the Free Gaza movement since 2008, and knows "dozens and dozens" on the boats. Booth says she's "worried sick" about the protestors.

"I woke this morning to a voice message from my friend Osama, who said 'We're being apporoached by two Israeli naval ships and we're about to be aggressively boarded, please help'."

"I have friends there who I don't know if they're dead or alive," Booth said.

"What we should be concentrating on is getting the British government to tell families the names of the dead, the names of the injured and taking action to ensure the safety and well being of everybody else on board.

"The only weapons taken onto that ship were taken by the Israeli military, who boarded them between 3.30 and 4.30am, when unarmed people were asleep.

Booth said the flotilla was populated by "normal people from around the world".

"We had some parliamentarians, there are doctors there are nurses, there are teachers.

"These are people who've chosen to leave their everyday lives to do something good for humanity and this is what they've been met with."

1.55pm:

More on the Israeli government warning its citizens not to travel to Turkey: the Jerusalem Post is reporting the Israeli Counter Terrorism Bureau has said "violent outbreaks" are likely against Israelis.
"In response to the events surrounding the protest flotilla, there are growing protests by the government and public in Turkey," the National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau said.

"This delicate state of affairs is liable to deteriorate into violent outbreaks against Israelis in Turkey."

2.02pm:

The Guardian's Jack Shenker sends this from Egypt:

"Demonstrations have broken out in the streets around the foreign ministry in the capital, currently a few hundred strong and including a number of opposition MPs and pro-democracy activist groups.
Egypt's government has condemned the attack and reportedly summoned the Israeli ambassador for talks."

Two Egyptian MPs were reportedly on the flotilla, we're trying to find out more details.

2.35pm:

Hundreds of people are gathering outside Downing Street.

@jogillette, who has been tremendously helpful all day, has pointed me to this video by Sally Sami of the demonstration.

If you're out demonstrating in London, or anywhere else for that matter, get in touch. You can Twitter at me @adamgabbatt or email adam.gabbatt@guardian.co.uk.

Videos/pictures/accounts all welcome.

2.51pm:

The Israeli Defence Force has released footage that it says shows IDF naval personnel being attacked as they board one of the ships in the flotilla.

"Reports from IDF forces on the scene are that it seems as if part of the participants onboard the ships were planning to lynch the forces," the IDF said.

This is disputed by people close to those in the fleet.

3.20pm:

Bit of a round up. Israel's prime minister has expressed his support for the military's action. Benjamin Netanyahu's office says he spoke Monday to top Israeli diplomatic and security officials by telephone from Canada and voiced his "full backing" for the military.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has cancelled a planned visit to the White House to deal with the Gaza crisis.

The prime minister was set to travel to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama on Tuesday, but his office says he has now decided to return home early.

Earlier the Obama administration voiced concern about the events. White House spokesman Bill Burton said the United States "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained" in the incident.

Burton said administration officials are "currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy."

Earlier around 10,000 Turks marched in protest from the Israeli consulate in Istanbul to a main square, chanting, "Murderous Israel you will drown in the blood you shed!"

Israel has warned citizens not to travel to Turkey, saying there is a risk of them being attacked. The protesters earlier tried to storm the Consulate building but were blocked by police.

Around 1,000 people have been demonstrating in Jordan's capital, Amman, calling for their government to cut diplomatic ties with Israel, AP is reporting.

The news agency says smaller protests have erupted in capitals across the Middle East as well as in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, the Greek city of Thessaloniki and the Pakistani city of Karachi.

Protests are underway in London at the moment, more on those shortly.

3.32pm:

@MadamMiaow has pointed me to a blogpost from Kevin Ovenden, a Briton from the Viva Palestina charity who was on the Mavi Marmara in the flotilla (see 11.08am).

Ovenden appears to have been writing as Israel boats approached the flotilla.

We are 90 miles away from land - 22 miles further than the Israeli decided 68 mile exclusion zone - but are being approached by an Israeli vessel.

[...]

This is a very serious situation, and we are calling on everyone to play their part in helping ensure their safety, and that the aid reaches Gaza without difficulty.

Full article here.

3.44pm:

Lots of people tweeting from the London protest, thanks for the contributions. The demonstrators are now marching to the Israeli embassy, it seems. Unconfirmed reports that over 1,000 people have turned out to protest.

Here's a selection of updates from people in the crowd.

@underattack86 @adamgabbatt protesting in London, huge turn-out! About to march on the embassy. Police looking edgy...

@emilysbishop @adamgabbatt march heading to Israeli Embassy, emphatic requests by organisers for peaceful & safe protest

@GuidoTallman @adamgabbatt London protest now left Whitehall and marching on the Israeli Embassy #gaza flotilla

@jungleline @adamgabbatt 1000+ protestors at Downing St, now marching to Israeli embassy

4.22pm:

Luke Harding, the Guardian's Moscow correspondent, has sent this:

Russia has become the latest country to slam Israel's attack on the Gaza-bound aid convoy, with Moscow this afternoon expressing its 'deep anxiety' over the incident.

It described the assault by Israeli commandos as a 'gross' violation of international law and called for a thorough investigation. 'Use of weapons against civilians and detaining ships in the open sea without any legal reason constitute obvious and gross violations of generally accepted legal standards,' Russia's foreign ministry said today in a statement.

It called for the 'earliest possible lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza' and for 'practical moves to improve the humanitarian and social situation for the people of the region.'

Giles Tremlett, for the Guardian in Madrid, emails:

A journalist from Spain's El País newspaper, Ana Carbajosa, says she managed to speak briefly to one of the injured as he was taken from an ambulance on a stretcher in Ashdod, where the flotilla vessels are arriving.

The man, who spoke with an American accent and had a black eye but did not give his name, apparently came from the Sfendoni vessel – adding further weight to evidence that violence had also been used there. "We are not violent. They have used unnecessary brutality," the man said, according to the Spanish translation of his words. ""We are all Palestinians. More freedom is needed."

The El País thread on the attack has received more than 1,100 comments posted by readers – most of them outraged.

Dorian Jones, in Turkey, has been speaking to Suat Kiniklioglu, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Turkish Parliament. Kiniklioglu has issued a statement calling on the international community to work to end the embargo against Gaza.

"Turkish-Israeli relations have suffered an immeasurable blow," the spokesman said.

"Regional players and particularly the US must step up to the plate and deal with this issue. Otherwise we will see a serious deterioration of regional and international security with concrete repercussions for all.

"The international community's response to this incident will be key in understanding where we are headed on this issue."

4.43pm:

Turkey's prime minister has spoken for the first time since Israeli commandos boarded the flotilla, as the Assocated Press news agency reports that most of the dead are Turkish.

PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the fatal raid as "state terrorism."

Speaking from Chile, he said Israel has shown that it does not want peace in the region and has violated international law.

Erdogan said Turkey will call on Nato to convene in an emergency session to discuss the incident. It has made a similar plea to the UN Security Council.

The prime minister has cut short his Latin America tour to deal with the fall out from the deaths.

AP news agency is reporting that a high ranking naval official who spoke to reporters on a naval vessel off the coast, told journalists most of the dead were Turkish.

The official displayed a box confiscated from the boat containing switchblades, slingshots, metal balls and metal bats, it said.
"We prepared (the soldiers) to deal with peace activists, not to fight," the man said, adding that most of the dead were Turkish.

AP has also spoken to a naval commano, identified only as "A", who was one of the party who boarded vessels. He said he and his colleagues were taken off guard by a group of Arabic-speaking men when they rappelled onto the deck.

Some of the soldiers were stripped of their helmets and equipment and thrown from the top deck to the lower deck, he told the news agency, and said some had even jumped overboard to save themselves. At one point one of the activists seized one of the soldiers' weapons and opened fire, the commando said.

5.06pm:

This video, from dominickavakeb, shows part of the protest underway in London. The demonstrators are currently gathered near the Israeli Embassy.

Here's the latest from a couple of people sending updates from the crowd.

@lazaroumterror @adamgabbatt "Kensington High street. Met by more protestors. Chants of "Israeli Piracy" & "shut down the embassy"" #FreedomFlotilla

@foto8 London demo cvrg @adamgabbatt: paused near hydepark cnr. #freedomflotilla http://twitpic.com/1srvao (via @tristamsparks)

Protests have taken place across Europe this afternoon, while there is a demonstration planned outside the Israeli consulate in Toronto, Canada this evening. There are also reports of a peace vigil gathering taking place in Boston, US, tonight.

5.10pm:

Harriet Sherwood, the Guardian's Jerusalem correspondent, has been speaking to the relative of one of the Britons in the flotilla.

Sandra Law, the mother of Alex Harrison, a 31-year-old British woman who was on board the Challenger 1, claimed that the Foreign Office had "totally refused" to provide information or assistance to her family.

"They were obstructive to say the least," said Law, 63, from Croydon. "We rang them last night to say the flotilla was being threatened by the Israeli navy. They totally refused to help us."

She added that the British Embassy in Tel Aviv "were also useless."
"I'm extremely worried about Alex," she told the Guardian. "We have no idea what has happened to her. But she's an experienced human rights defender and very level headed.

"I am really concerned that our government won't speak out over Israel. They have said that human rights is at the heart of their foreign policy. Well, you tell me."

She described yesterday's military operation as "disgusting" and "unforgivable".

5.24pm:

Channel 4 news is reporting that the death toll "could be as high as 19".

The news channel also says it has been told of violent clashes on another vessel in the flotilla.

Channel 4 News has learnt 16 people are feared dead following the clashes. Another unconfirmed report puts the toll at 19.

A spokesperson for "Freedom Flotilla" says three people are hurt on another boat, believed to be a joint Greek and Swedish vessel. The captain is reportedly among the injured.

5.41pm:

More on some of the protests around the UK – Somhairle Maguire has emailed from Northern Ireland:

A quick note to say about 400 people turned out in Belfast city centre, outside the City Hall, in protest. Lasted around an hour, from four to five, with a few local councillors and West Belfast MP Gerry Adams in attendance. Was a good showing for this city, especially at such short notice, this incident seems to have caused more than the usual amount of rage and disbelief.

While @elfieatlanticx writes "protest starting on princes street edinburgh, 200 estimate"

And @alexantra posts "Demonstration against Israeli attack on Gaza aid #flotilla in #Oxford: 6 pm Cornmarket Street"

6.01pm:

The Mavi Marmara, the largest ship in the flotilla and the one that was raided last night, has docked in the port of Ashdod, Sky News is reporting.