 The Human Rights Council has said Israel's military response to the Gaza aid sail was "disproportionate and brutal," violating international law. The special UN panel said there was now clear evidence to support prosecutions against Israel for wilful killing and torture. In its scathing report, the panel rejected an argument by Israel that activists on the aid ship had turned violent, thereby justifying the actions of Israeli soldiers when they opened fire. The UN Human Rights Council panel said Israel's military had used unnecessary violence to commit grave violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law. It said that the Israeli shootings were "consistent with summary execution." A 56-page document released by the UN says that Israel's naval blockade of the Palestinian territory was also unlawful because of the humanitarian crisis there. The report said: "The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. A series of violations of international law were committed by the Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation." The panel concluded that a humanitarian crisis existed in Gaza on the day of the incident, making the Israeli blockade unlawful. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has responded by saying the Human Rights Council had a "biased, politicized and extremist approach." Israel did not cooperate with the panel and is awaiting a report from a separate UN group under New Zealand's former Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe, who are yet to report their findings. Israel soldiers shot and killed eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American aboard the Mavi Marmara on May 31 as it was sailing toward Gaza. |
