Israel Rejects Findings Of UN Rights Probe Of Gaza Flotilla Raid

Sep 23, 2010
Radio Free Europe
http://www.rferl.org/articleprintview/2165779.html

The Israeli government has rejected the findings of a UN Human Rights Council investigation that concluded that Israel's military acted illegally and with disproportionate levels of violence during a raid on an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip that left nine people dead. 

The Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "biased" against Israel, and noted that Israel was still conducting its own investigation and was also participating in a probe backed by the UN secretary-general's office. 

In its report, the UN Human Rights Council said there was "clear evidence" to support potential prosecutions of Israeli officials over the actions of troops who stormed the flotilla in May. 

The report also said Israeli soldiers acted with an "unacceptable level of brutality." 

Israel says its soldiers acted in self-defense, and that it was within its rights to enforce its blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. 

Eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American were killed in the Israeli raid.