On his journey to the Gaza Strip, the Global Sumud Flotilla has officially exceeded the so -called “Orange Line” which border to the “high risk area” of attacks by Israel: at the moment it is a 78 nautical miles from Gaza. The Israeli broadcaster Kan News He made the Plan of the Israeli army public to stop the over 50 boats from Flottila: the activists will be intercepted, gathered on large military ships and conducted by the Israeli Navy towards the port of Ashdod, where they will be questioned and then be deported to their countries of origin. To take control of the ships, some of which may also be sunk, it will be the special unit of the Navy Shayetet-13: according to what is reported by Israeli sources, however, the incursions would have received the order of do not exercise lethal force.
What is the high risk area around Gaza where the flotilla is located: the map
During the night, the over 50 boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla exceeded the so -called “high risk area”, identified a 150 nautical miles (about 288 km) from the Israeli coast. This high risk area, beyond which the Italian Navy, Spanish and Turkish have abandoned the flotilla, has been defined Orange Line (“Orange line”) and represents the maximum distance between Gaza and the previous intercepted shipments from the Israeli Navy. Among these also the ship Madleenwhich last June attempted to force the naval block and then be intercepted and attacked by Israel about 110 nautical miles from the coast.
It should be remembered that, on the basis of Montego Bay Convention of 1982 (the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), the territorial waters of a country extend up to 12 nautical miles. In practice, it means that Israel can exercise its sovereignty and exclusive control only on the first 22 km of sea starting from their coasts (even if foreign ships can exercise the so -called harmful passagethat is, cross the territorial waters without causing damage to the safety or public order of the state in question).
Beyond these 12 nautical miles, therefore, Israel has no legitimate power to regulate the access and navigation of other boats.
Israel’s plan to stop the Global Sumud Flotilla
After consulting military sources, the Israeli public radio-TV Kan News He published the Israel plan to stop the Global Sumud Flotilla: first of all, it was specified that Israel does not intend to allow to ships to break the naval block imposed on the Gaza strip in 2007 (after the control of the strip passed into the hands of Hamas) to avoid creating a historical precedent.
Being then an expedition consisting of more than 50 boats, the Israeli plan is to take control of ships using the Shayetet 13 unit: The hundreds of activists, coming from more than 40 countries, will then be gathered on large military ships and conducted by the Israeli Navy towards the port of Ashdod, where they will be interrogated and deported. The fact that about 50 boats participate in the Flotilla will not allow their towing: consequently, Israel has already foreseen that some of these could be “sucking at sea”.
What is the Israeli military unit Shayetet-13
The raids of the Shayetet-13 represent the elite body of the Israeli Navygenerally used in what are called “anti -terrorism” missions. Are considered one of the three special units More important than the army: in the past, the men of this unit have carried out a wide range of special missions and are trained to perform naval missions, assault tasks to the coast and also operations by land. In particular, it is the only unity of Israeli defense forces (IDF) designed to operate everywhere, in any circumstance and with any notice.
In the past, the raids of the Shayetet-13 have intervened several times against Flotilla boats, including the ship Madleen last June and the Handala last August. According to reports from Israeli sources, specialists would have been given education not to use lethal force.
