Israeli forces destroy Mavi Marmara memorial in Gaza
Over 13 years after the Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara aid flotilla, Israeli forces have destroyed a monument built in Gaza to honour the victims.
In May 2010, a flotilla named the Mavi Marmara, comprising six civilian ships carrying 750 activists from 37 countries, set sail to Gaza from Istanbul./ Photo: X/@mavimarmaratr
Israeli soldiers destroyed a monument in Gaza dedicated to the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla which aimed to break the blockade and provide aid to Palestinians in the besieged enclave, resulting in the tragic killing of 10 Turkish citizens by the Israeli army.
The attack occurred in Gaza Port on Thursday, a day after the organisers of the Mavi Marmara initiative declared their intention to launch a similar flotilla later in the year, according to the Israeli army.
"In the past few days, in a joint operation, soldiers... took operational control of the Gaza harbor, which was controlled by Hamas,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
In May 2010, a flotilla named the Mavi Marmara, comprising six civilian ships carrying 750 activists from 37 countries, set sail from an Istanbul seaport with the goal of breaking the Israeli siege on Gaza.
Laden with around 6,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid, the flotilla aimed to reach the shores of Palestine.
Deadly attack
On the morning of May 31, as the ships neared their destination, the Israeli navy launched a raid on the Mavi Marmara.
The Israeli forces deployed four naval frigates, three helicopters, two submarines, and 30 zodiac boats in the deadly attack.
Tragically, the raid resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists on the spot, with an additional 30 individuals sustaining injuries. One activist succumbed to their injuries nearly four years after the incident.
In the aftermath of the attack, Türkiye demanded an official apology from Israel, compensation for the families of those killed, and the lifting of Israel’s Gaza blockade.
In 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised over the incident to Türkiye’s then-Prime Minister and now President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In addition to the compensation, Israel has agreed to Türkiye’s humanitarian presence in Gaza.
Over 13 years after the Mavi Marmara attack, the organisers are once again hoping to send another aid flotilla to help besieged Palestinians in Gaza.
Since October 7, after Israel started bombing Gaza following the Hamas attack, at least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, including nearly 8,000 women and children, while over 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.
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