There are reports of armed Israeli military forcefully boarding the ships in the flotilla organised by the Free Gaza Movement which is carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza.
Ten of those on the boats have been reported to have been killed and others injured.
One of those on-board the flotilla is Isle of Wight resident Peter Venner who, left the Island on 20 May. At the tail-end of last year, Peter also drove a van from the Island to Gaza with humanitarian aid. Presently it’s unknown how he is.
Widespread condemnation
There has been widespread condemnation of the action. Defending the killings, the Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon called it an “armada of hate,” claiming that “their intent was violent, the method was violent, the results were unfortunately violent.”
It’s understood that the ships were boarded by Israeli commandos in international waters where Israel has no jurisdiction.
Building materials
On-board the ships are building materials to enable the re-building of Gaza following the attack by Israel 18-months ago which destroyed large parts of the country. The continued Israeli blockade of Gaza stops many badly needed supplies getting through.
Demo tonight
There is a peaceful demo being held 6pm tonight at the Guildhall Square in Portsmouth.
BBC Live coverage, as it unravels.
BBC coverage, including video of the boarding of one of the boats.
Background on BBC Gaza under blockade.
