UN report fails to hold Israel to account for point blank execution of pro-Palestine activists

A United Nations investigation has backed Israel's naval blockade of Gaza as legal but said its military assault on a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists last year, in which nine Turks were killed, was "excessive and unreasonable".

The report notes that Israel has not satisfactorily explained how it is that most of the dead were shot multiple times, including in the back, and at close range. But it also said the organisers of the flotilla acted "recklessly" in attempting to breach the blockade.

The report is expected to be released on Friday after months of delay because of a dispute between Israel and Turkey over its contents and Ankara's demand for an apology from Israel for the deaths of its citizens.

Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, gave Israel one day to make the apology or face a further deterioration in relations with what had been the Jewish state's closest ally in the region. Turkey has already withdrawn its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

The Israeli government has repeatedly refused to make a full apology, although it has offered to express regret, saying it had a legal right to defend itself by maintaining the blockade of Gaza to prevent weapons reaching the Palestinian enclave...

... "No satisfactory explanation has been provided to the panel by Israel for any of the nine deaths. Forensic evidence showing that most of the deceased were shot multiple times, including in the back, or at close range has not been adequately accounted for in the material presented by Israel," it said. more

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