By Admin 
US Israel Relations: The friendship between the United States and Israel has been seen during the ongoing war in the Middle East. But during the Cold War, a shocking military incident had strained relations between the two countries for some time. On June 8, 1967, a US Navy ship was attacked during a major conflict in the Middle East. Dozens of United States sailors were killed in this attack. This dispute continued for decades. This incident is known as the USS Liberty incident.
war in the middle east
This attack took place during the Six Day War. This was a small but deep conflict between Israel and several Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Syria. At that time the United States was not directly involved in the war. But he was keeping an eye on the developments happening in the area through intelligence operations. One of the ships involved in this monitoring effort was the USS Liberty. It was a signals intelligence ship tasked with intercepting communications in the eastern Mediterranean.
attack on uss liberty
On the afternoon of June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was traveling in international waters near the Sinai Peninsula. According to the report, Israeli aircraft started circling around the ship before suddenly attacking. Israeli fighter jets attacked the ship several times. Along with this, they also fired with rockets and machine guns. After some time, Israeli torpedo boats also joined the attack. A torpedo hit the ship causing considerable damage.
a lot of damage
This attack lasted for several minutes and the American ship was badly damaged. The torpedo blast left a big hole in the ship’s hull. Approximately 40 feet wide. This caused excessive flooding and destruction. A total of 34 United States soldiers were killed and more than 170 were injured. Despite heavy losses, the crew managed to save the ship.
What was Israel’s response?
After this incident, Israel officially apologized to America. Israeli officials said the attack was a case of mistaken identity. According to his explanation, the Israeli army thought that the ship was the Egyptian ship El Qusayr. Israeli officials called the attack a tragic accident.
Investigation and ongoing controversy
The United States government conducted several investigations into the attack. This also includes a review of the United States Navy. These investigations concluded that the attack was probably the result of mistaken identity during wartime. Although this incident has been in dispute for decades. Some survivors and former military officers argued that the ship was clearly carrying an American flag and that the attackers should have recognized it.
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