One of the ships in the Freedom Flotilla aid convoy is named Rachel Corrie, in honour of an American peace activist killed by an Israeli army bulldozer [GETTY]

Rachel Corriewas killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza on 16 March, 2003, as she tried to stop it demolishing a Palestinian home.

The family of the US activist blames the Israeli military for her death and is forcing the country to defend itselfin court.

Tom Hurndallwas a 21-year-old photojournalism student who travelled to the Gaza Strip as part of the International Solidarity Movement.

He was shot in the head in April 2003 by an Israeli army sniper while trying to rescue Palestinian children in the street.

He never regained consciousness and died nine months later in a London hospital.

British cameraman James Miller,34, was shot dead by another soldier from the same Israeli unit just a mile away three weeks later.

He was in Rafah while making a documentary for a US cable channel.

An autopsy confirmed he was almost certainly killed by an Israeli soldier, despite the army's assertions to the contrary.

Video evidence clearly showed Miller and his team carrying white flags and shouting to Israeli soldiers that they were British journalists.

Tristan Anderson,38, had three brain operations after being shot in the head with a high-velocity tear gas canister by Israeli security forces on 13 March 2009.

Anderson, who survived with major brain damage, was in the West Bank village of Nilin, protesting with Palestinian farmers against the construction of Israel's "separation wall".