In the interest of contributing a few data points, the Times has some (I think) new photos from inside the ship during the attack. They show some commandos injured at the hands of the passengers. Of course, the pictures don't really give you context - who instigated the violence, for example.
Photographs of Battered Israeli Commandos Show New Side of Raid - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com
I don't know how to elaborate very much on the position I stated earlier. I think that the only truly salient structural fact here is the nature of the blockade itself and its disastrous humanitarian impact on Gazans. Everything else surrounding this event is largely an exercise in PR.