The deadly Gaza flotilla raid in 2010 that led to the deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey could have been prevented using an alternative plan of action that was reportedly dismissed, according to unnamed officials familiar with the details. The alternative plan was proposed by Construction Minister Yoav Gallant, at the time GOC Southern Command. In May 2010, Israeli naval commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish activist ship headed for Gaza in protest against the Israeli blockade. The commandos were met with violence aboard the ship, and nine Turkish activists were killed in the ensuing clash. A 10th died later of his injuries. The Israeli troops, who were outnumbered, boarded the ship from speedboats and helicopters. Plans to contend with the flotilla were discussed earlier at the IDF General Staff Forum, led by then-IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi. At the meeting, the generals were updated on a plan proposed by the navy commander and approved by Ashkenazi. The operational plan was to seize control of the boat by sending combat soldiers down on ropes from helicopters above. According to an official source, Gallant pointed to safety concerns, saying the idea would not work and that the soldiers might be trapped or attacked -- as they ultimately were. Instead, Gallant reportedly suggested another course of action that might have had different results. He proposed neutralizing the Turkish boat using larger boats to block its path, with hundreds of soldiers prepared to leave the vessels to neutralize any resistance, rather than the small number of commandos that ultimately boarded the Mavi Marmara. Gallant's plan was presented in front of about 20 people at the General Staff meeting, and according to sources close to the matter, Ashkenazi dismissed the idea outright, saying that the original plan was "good." Gallant spoke about the events at the meeting during the investigation into the Mavi Marmara incident.
