The Israeli PM is under fire for the management of the deadly Turkish flotilla raid that occured in 2010. A new report released by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss suggests that Benjamin Netanyahu failed to follow protocol that could have avoided the bloodshed.

The report states that no official cabinet meeting was called during the run-up to the deadly raid. Instead, PM Netanyahu, contrary to protocol, called private meetings with the defense and foreign ministers that were not documented.

“The prime minister’s decision-making process took place without orderly, coordinated and documented team work, even though the senior political, military and intelligence ranks were aware that the Turkish flotilla was different from other flotillas,” said Lindenstrauss in the report.

Despite having ample warning of the flotilla’s arrival, the report highlights that Netanyahu “did not internalize that the forcible stopping of the flotilla was liable to spark a violent confrontation on the decks of the Mavi Marmara.”

Lindenstrauss also pointed the finger at Israel’s defnse minister. The report states that although he was fully aware of the likelihood of violence if troops boarded the flotilla, he failed to take any preventative action.

In response to the controversial report, the Israeli PM released a statement as well.

“It’s safe to assume that if the military echelon knew how dangerous the participants [in the flotilla] would be, it would have prepared differently and the flotilla’s outcome would have been different,” said the PM’s office. It added that the government had not been aware and “could not have been aware of how dangerous the flotilla passengers could be.”

The flotilla incident drew international controversy and condemnation of the Israeli’s for using excessive force against civilians. Israeli troops boarded the vessel as it tried to breach the Gaza blockades, eventually killing nine of the armed activists that were on board. 

In April a Turkish court formally pressed charges against members of the Israeli military for the killing of nine Turkish activists aboard the flotilla in 2010, claiming they are answerable for “inciting to kill monstrously, and by torturing.”