UN Report On Israel Flotilla Killings - BBC News 22 Sept 2010

Posted on:http://4TheRecord.org/

Israel's military broke international laws during a raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, a UN Human Rights Council investigation says. Its report said the action by commandos, which left nine dead, was "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality". It said there was clear evidence to support prosecutions against Israel for "wilful killing".

Israel rejected the report as "biased" and "one-sided." It insists its soldiers acted in self-defence during the 31 May raid. Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed and many others injured after Israeli commandoes boarded the six-ship convoy as it tried to breach an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. The convoy's passengers were detained and later deported by Israel. There was widespread international criticism of Israel's actions, which severely strained relations with its long-time Muslim ally, Turkey.

'Biased'

In a 56-page report, the UN panel of three international lawyers said: "There is clear evidence to support prosecutions of the following crimes within the terms of article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention: wilful killing; torture or inhuman treatment; wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health". The Convention is an international treaty governing the protection of civilians in times of war. The UN fact-finding mission also said the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory was "unlawful" because of a humanitarian crisis there.

The panel had interviewed more than 100 witnesses in Britain, Jordan, Switzerland Turkey, but not in Israel. Before the report was released, Israel dismissed the Human Rights Council as being biased, politicised and extremist. After the findings were published, it said the report was "as biased and as one-sided as the body that has produced it".

"Israel... is of the opinion that the flotilla incident is amply and sufficiently investigated as it is," said the Israeli foreign ministry in a statement. "All additional dealing with this issue is superfluous and unproductive." The Israeli government has begun its own independent inquiry into the flotilla raid, the Turkel Commission. It has two foreign observers, but critics say its remit is too narrow. There is also a separate UN inquiry - ordered by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - into the raid. Israel has said it will co-operate with the investigation.

BBC News Report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11393836

Report of the international fact-finding mission to investigate
violations of international law, including international
humanitarian and human rights law, resulting from the
Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian
assistance*

UN Report: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf

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[bornbillsmith]

no one got hhurt on any of the other boats and you want to know why

Because they didn't resist.

The reports states that Israel had the right to stop and board those boats

Those boates were on a mission to help people who have in their charter a policy to destroy Israel.

I would say Israel has the right to treat these perople as potential enemies.

[Tzimnewman3]

@bornbillsmith "The reports states that Israel had the right to stop and board those boats"

The report was an Israeli report which makes it biased. Israel acted like pirates and killed 19 people who had the right to defend themselves. Israel acted like a nazi and launched a night raid on the boat waking people from sleep knowing that people would try and defend themselves against IDF who don't give a second thought to killing innocent people.

[BeautifulNellychka]

Wonder whether they've watched these footages at all..! You can clearly see the people on the boat attacking the soldiers..!

[therohvac]

screw Turkey

[tracer1024]

@penseurlibre There are over 200 resolutions against Israel. The Armenian genocide has not been proved. Turkey is a guarantor of Cyprus and well within its rights to invade. Kurdistan has never existed in the entire history of planet earth. Anyway, this is about Israel and its continued disregard for international law. Israel executed many of the peace activists on that ship, as proved by the UN report.

[JBBlitz]

that is what happens when you try to kill a security person doing a security check they will defend themselves and kill you.

[penseurlibre]

@MsTiny72

and lets send the UN soldiers into cyprus illegally occupied by turkey since the 70s.

resolution, no.541 and no.543.

the same turkey which refuses to acknowledge the genocide of over one million armenians, refuses to recognise the genocide of the assyrians, and refuses to acknowledge autonomy for the kurds but amazingly believes itself to have the moral high ground in the flotilla episode. shalom.

[MsTiny72]

Tell us all some thing we don't know,

Israel is the biggest threat to World Peace today.

And it is all right for these guys to say the blockade is illegal, but why are the UN not sending Troops to protect the sea around Gazza and keep the Israelis away?????

[scotsmaninusa]

pro palestinian activists ha ha ha.so Israel refuse to take part then say it's biased,fuckwits.