Jerusalem: The bloody raid by Israel's naval commandos on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla last month suffered from "serious defects", including inadequate preparation and lack of sufficient intelligence, an internal probe has concluded.
The internal Israel Navy probe found that the commando unit was inadequately prepared, lacked sufficient intelligence, and was ill-used in its approach to the Turkish-flagged ship Mavi Marmara, Israel Radio reported on Sunday.
However, it also concluded that the reaction of the soldiers was appropriate as they did not expect a mass offensive. It said due to the fact that a mass offensive against Israel's commandos was not taken into account, the officers acted accordingly under the circumstances.
"The soldiers wanted to wear their ceremonial uniform, they expected to engage with the passengers in conversation, and that was a defect," a military official told the Radio.
"In light of the situation that developed they acted accordingly," he was quoted as saying.
Nine pro-Palestinian activists onboard the Turkish-flagged ship were killed in clashes with the commandos and dozens others wounded, including soldiers who were allegedly attacked with knives and clubs on May 31.
The violence not only sparked international condemnation of the operation, but led to demands for an
independent international inquiry.
Israel has separately formed an internal panel with two foreign observers to look into the incident.
The Navy probe concluded that the raid on the ship should have been conducted only after hosing the attackers down with water hoses and smoke grenade.
'Operation Sky Winds 7,' the Navy commandos operation to take over the ship, was carried out according to standard operating procedures established during a 'mock exercise' with more than 50 soldiers, the report said.
The navy said that it was prepared for "resistance like we encounter in Bil'in (a West Bank Palestinian village), but there wasn't a sense that it would be a walk in the park."
"There was a general consensus of a need for greater mental preparation of the force before the operation's execution as not enough emphasis was placed on preparing for every possible contingency," an officer said.
A top military commander involved in the raid told Ha'aretz newspaer that "the major defect in the preparations and gathering of intelligence was that we did not know that we would be coping with tens of rioters."
"This was not disorderly conduct that deteriorated," he said, adding "This was a planned terrorist attack."