Israel's Raid on Gaza Aid Flotilla , Storm Pro-Palestinian activists' boat, Photos

ASHDOD: Israeli navy commandos stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters on Monday, killing up to 19 pro-Palestinian activists in a pre-dawn raid that sparked global outrage.

The bloody ending to the high-profile mission to deliver supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip plunged Israel into a serious diplomatic crisis on the eve of talks in Washington between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As Israel pointed the finger of blame at passengers for initiating the violence, accusing them of using deadly force, activists from the ships countered with their own descriptions of how events unfolded in the raid which took place at around 5:00 am (0200 GMT).

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Despite the admiral's remarks, organisers say the Greek passenger ship, Sfendoni, also came under fire from Israel troops.

Hours after the confrontation, the Sfendoni and another ship were seen being towed by the navy into the southern port of Ashdod, a correspondent said.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas slammed the navy raid as "a massacre" and announced a three-day mourning period. His Palestinian Authority also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Israel's Arab community called a general strike in response to an Israeli naval operation and called for protests across the country against the bloody attack.

And Ismail Haniya, prime minister of the Islamist Hamas movement which controls the Gaza Strip called on the Palestinian Authority "to halt negotiations, direct or indirect, with Israel because of this crime".

The ships, carrying more than 700 passengers, were on the last leg of an aid mission to deliver some 10,000 tonnes of supplies to Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since 2007.

Israel had warned the attempt to break the Gaza blockade was illegal and that it would intercept the ships, tow them to the Ashdod port and detain the activists before deporting them. 

reported by TOI