Eyewitness account by Czech reporter aboard raided Gaza aid flotilla

One of the people aboard the so-called Freedom Fleet, which was trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, was Czech TV cameraman Jan Línek. He was travelling on one of the smaller boats, several hundred metres away from the Mavi Marmara where several people were killed during a raid by Israeli naval commandoes. Jan Línek was released on Tuesday and returned to Prague later that day.

Jan Línek, photo: CT24

“We were told in the beginning that we were going to deliver aid to Gaza. I thought to myself that the Israeli side knew about it and that they were going to allow it. I’d been to Gaza with some politicians before so it was nothing special for me and I didn’t worry about it when my TV station told me to go. It was my impression that the aim was to end the Gaza blockade with this trip.”

When you were approaching Israeli waters, what happened? How did the raid begin?

“At 4 AM, they told me that an attack was imminent because one of the [Israeli] boats that were on the horizon was approaching our convoy very fast. In a few moments they said, it’s starting right now, and I saw a small speed boat coming very fast to the Turkish boat [the Mavi Marmara] which was ahead of us.”

Photo: CTK

How far were you from the Mavi Marmara that was attacked?

“We were a few hundred metres away.”

What did the Israeli commandoes do when they boarded your boat?

“They tried to enter the bridge; the activists made a human chain, and tried to stop the soldiers.”

How did they try to stop them?

“By creating a human chain.”

So you did not see any violent attacks against the Israeli soldiers?

“Not on our boat. The day before the attack, they were rehearsing a human shield, how to do it.

Photo: CTK

One of the leaders of our boat said that the Israelis would take over the boat anyway, so it makes no sense to be a hero and to be violent, that they will take it anyway. But they wanted to make it harder for the Israeli army to get the boat.”

What happened after you were escorted to the port of Ashod in Israel? Did they treat you well?

“No. Israeli soldiers told us that someone from our embassy was waiting for us there, which was really nice to hear. We got to these large tents in Ashdod, and they told me I was under arrest, that I was entering Israel illegally, and that it was against the law. They told me to sign a paper that I understood I was arrested, and another paper – an application to be deported.”