...Miftah's press release called on the international community to stop "Israel's state-terrorism" and stated that the casualties were caused "when an Israeli navy vessel fired 3 shells at them." Miftah, which received a $250,000 grant from the Ford Foundation in 2005, also called the incident a "brutal massacre" and called on the international community to "hold Israel accountable for its war crimes against the Palestinians."

Al-Mezan, which is also funded by the Ford Foundation as well as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and International Commission of Jurists among others, said in its press statement that the incident was a "savage massacre." Al Mezan accused Israel of responsibility for the attack based on evidence gathered by "TV channels [which] reported that shells were fired from a naval ship located close to Beit Lahia beach." Al Mezan added that the incident "highlight[s] Israel's organized killing of Palestinian civilians."...