Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold a security discussion today (Monday) on the Turkish flotilla making its way to the Gaza Strip - and at the end, authorize the IDF to take control of the vessel in order to prevent the maritime blockade from being broken.
This morning, through his lawyers, Netanyahu asked the court to cancel the hearing in his trial for "political and security" reasons - and the hearing was canceled.
Fifty-seven boats left Marmaris, Turkey, last week carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists. They are expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip tomorrow evening if they are not arrested earlier.
The security establishment fears that the current flotilla could be more violent than previous flotillas, both due to the identity of the activists and due to the involvement of IHH - the organization that was behind the Mavi Marmara flotilla in 2010, in which activists attacked the fighters of Fleet 13 with knives and clubs, snatched weapons from a fighter, and opened fire on the force.
Ten activists were killed during the takeover of the flotilla at that time and 30 were injured. Ten IDF soldiers were injured, two of them seriously.
Israel is making it clear that the vessel will not be allowed to breach the maritime blockade, and the IDF is preparing for a physical takeover using fighters from Fleet 13 and naval forces.
According to a report in Kan News, a floating detention cell was built on one of the ships to which the activists will be transferred after their arrest, if they refuse to heed the forces' warnings and turn back into the sea.
This time too, due to the global coverage, the Foreign Ministry will be covering the event and not the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
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