UN rights experts say Israeli forces broke international law in flotilla raid
By APWednesday, September 22, 2010
UN experts: Israel flotilla raid broke int’l law
GENEVA — A group of U.N.-appointed experts says Israeli forces violated international law “including international humanitarian and human rights law” during and after their raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.
The U.N. Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission says Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory was “unlawful” because a humanitarian crisis there at the time.
The three-member panel says Israel’s military response to the flotilla was “disproportionate” and “betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality.”
Eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American were killed in the raid.
Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defense. The country’s mission to the U.N. in Geneva couldn’t immediately be reached for comment late Wednesday.
U.N. report bit.ly/FlotillaReport
