SALON

Monday, Jun 14, 2010 12:41 PM UTC

Israeli Cabinet approves flotilla probe

Israel cabinet has sanctioned an investigation into the flotilla attack

By

Topics: Israel Flotilla Attack,

Israel’s Cabinet has given final approval for an official investigation into the navy’s bloody attack on a Gaza-bound flotilla two weeks ago.

The inquiry will be headed by a retired Israeli Supreme Court justice and it will include two high-ranking foreign observers: Nobel Peace laureate David Trimble of Ireland and Canada’s former chief military prosecutor, Ken Watkin. The Cabinet gave its approval on Monday.

Israel has come under harsh criticism for its May 31 raid on the flotilla. Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed in the raid.

The addition of the foreign observers is meant to boost the credibility of the Israeli-led probe.

The White House has backed Israel’s inquiry into the raid, calling it “an important step forward.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — EU officials said Monday there were indications Israel may agree to relax its blockade of Gaza by opening at least one border crossing to large-scale commercial traffic.

EU diplomats also said Israel would likely drop its restrictive list of goods permitted into the region, which has left the territory’s 1.5 million Palestinians mired in poverty.

Instead, there would be a short, agreed list of items banned because of Israeli security concerns, the diplomats said on the condition that they not be named because of the sensitivity of the talks.

One diplomat said that while no final decisions had been made, there were positive indications that Israel might be willing to open either the Karni or the Kerem Shalom border crossings for large-scale imports into Gaza. The diplomat said Israel rejected a proposal for cargo to be delivered by ships checked in a third location such as Cyprus.

The Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings have been open for humanitarian goods for the past few years.

Israeli security officials have said talks are now under way to replace the Israeli supervision with an international presence, with the involvement of the Palestinians and the Egyptians.

Officials in Luxembourg said this would somehow also likely involve the EU in some manner, and that the bloc would probably bear the costs of the operation.

“The most important part of what we can do is to try and provide support to actually get the crossings open and to … help people rebuild their homes, to provide for businesses, to try to support everyday things,” EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said.

“We should be ready to assist at any time with the policy of the crossings and whatever else we can do to assist,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

The European Union has reacted strongly to the May 31 Israeli commando raid that resulted in the deaths of nine Turkish activists.

The 27-nation bloc has been pressing Israel to ease its three-year old blockade, which EU foreign ministers described as “unacceptable and counterproductive” in a draft statement released Monday.

International mediator Tony Blair will brief EU foreign ministers at a summit beginning Thursday.

Spain, which holds the rotating EU chairmanship, said Saturday it would propose the bloc exert strong diplomatic pressure on Israel to end the closure.

—-

Associated Press Writer Eileen Shim contributed to this report.

Associated Press

More Associated Press.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

The week in 10 pics

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Serena William in an emotional moment during the final women's French Open match against Russia's Maria Sharapova. Williams won 6-4, 6-4, while Rafael Nadal defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the men's finals on Sunday.
    AP/David Vincent

  • Ongoing anti-government protests at Taksim Square. Five people have died and thousands have been injured since the protests began on May 31. On Friday, Turkey's government agreed to suspend redevelopment plans for Gezi Park, which initially sparked the protests, until a court rules on its legality.
    AP/Vadim Ghirda

  • Billy Porter is all heart and "sole" at a performance of the Cyndi Lauper-scored "Kinky Boots," which won the Tony Award for Best musical on Sunday night.
    AP/The O+M Company, Matthew Murphy

  • A chemical plant explosion and fire in Louisiana on Thursday morning killed a 29-year-old and injured 73 more. The cause of the fire is still undetermined.
    AP/Gerald Herbert

  • So much for pie-throwing loyalty. Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and third wife Wendy Deng announced they are filing for divorce on Thursday after 14 years of marriage. The pair are pictured at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles this year.
    AP/Matt Sayles

  • Ariel Castro, accused of holding three women captive in his house for roughly a decade, walks into a Cleveland courtroom on Wednesday. Castro, 52, pleaded not guilty to hundreds of charges that include rape and kidnapping.
    AP/Tony Dejak

  • Supporters of Iranian presidential candidate, Hasan Rowhani, campaigned with banners on the streets of Tehran on Wednesday in anticipation of the Iranian presidential elections on Friday.
    AP/Ebrahim Noroozi

  • People watch from the side of the road as a flame-fighting plane passes over the Black Forest area north of Colorado Springs. A raging fire which has been burning since midweek has destroyed more than 360 homes and killed two.
    AP/Brennan Linsley

  • A restaurant in Dunabogdany, Hungary, is roof-deep in floodwaters spilling from the River Danube. Heavy rainfalls this week continued to flood major rivers and lakes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland the Czech Republic and Hungary.
    AP/MTI, Balazs Mohai

  • A gas mask-sporting demonstrator walks past Portuguese graffiti on a bank which reads "Fascist government." Thousands took to the streets São Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday to violently protest a 10-cent hike in bus and subway fares, while similar protests took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Porte Alegre in southern Brazil.
    AP/Brennan Linsley

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 7 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations