Israelis fired 308 bullets aboard Gaza ship: general

[oberliner]

(Reuters) - Israeli commandos fired 308 live bullets aboard a Gaza-bound aid ship in May to repel passengers who attacked them with lethal weapons including a snatched Uzi machine pistol, Israel's top general said on Sunday.

In a sometimes testy second round of testimony before a state-appointed inquest, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi insisted the navy's killing of nine pro- Palestinian Turks on the converted cruise ship Mavi Marmara had been unavoidable.

Marine commandos were equipped with riot-dispersal gear but quickly switched to live fire to confront armed passengers because "if they had not done this, there would have been more casualties," Ashkenazi told the six-member Turkel Commission.

Ankara, which wants compensation and an apology from Israel, has dismissed the Turkel panel as too lacking in scope.

But the commission has invited testimony from Mavi Marmara passengers -- many of whom insist the commandos' onslaught was unprovoked -- and signaled it may probe Israel's navy deeper.

Ashkenazi said 308 live rounds were fired by the troops. A top aide to the general told Reuters 70 of these were aimed to cause injury, while the rest were warning shots.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69N0Q320101024

[peacebird]

1. they confiscated cameras too, can't have independent video of their actions around

after all - it might shed doubt on their purity and holy righteousness! :sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

2. More likely they were 7.62 mm NATO bullets

There is a difference in working pressure.

[Tripmann]

3. Ah yes,the mini uzi.Weapon of choice for boarding ships in international waters with good intentions