UN Gaza Flotilla Probe Rejected By Israel

The United Nations Humans Rights Council has released the findings of an investigation into the May raid by Israeli forces on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza strip. Israel has responded by calling the report “biased” against Israel. The report concluded that Israel acted illegally by boarding the lead ship of the flotilla in international waters and moreover used disproportionate levels of force during the now-notorious raid.

The report further states there is “clear evidence” for possible prosecutions against Israeli officials. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has flat-out rejected the findings of the report. They reminded the UN that they are conducting their own investigation into the incident and are also cooperating in a second probe into the raid that is backed by the office of the UN Secretary-General.

Eight Turkish campaigners and one Turkish-American were killed in the ill-fated dawn raid, which the UN report branded as “unacceptable levels of brutality.” Israel claims that its soldiers were acting in self-defense against the activists on board the flotilla bound for Gaza. They also claim they were within their rights to board the ship in order to protect the blockade against the Gaza strip, which is ruled by Hamas. It is unknown whether any prosecutions will be levied against Israeli officials or what the “clear evidence” sited by the UN report entails, but Israel maintains that it was well within its rights to act in the manner it did once the flotilla was boarded. est