Israeli army forms expert group to probe into Freedom Flotilla attack
05:46 08/06/2010 TEL AVIV, June 8 (RIA Novosti) - The Israeli army formed on Monday an expert group to probe into the circumstances of a recent attack on a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid convoy, the Freedom Flotilla, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Israeli commandos stormed on May 31 the six-ship fleet in international waters off the coast of the Islamist-run Gaza Strip as it carried some 10,000 tons of aid and up to 700 human rights activists to the Palestinian enclave. Nine activists were killed, dozens were injured. Hundreds were jailed and then deported.
Israel has been condemned over the incident worldwide. The Freedom Flotilla was trying to break the blockade of Gaza even though Israel had warned that it would not allow foreign ships to approach the coast.
Israel said the ships could have been carrying arms for militants in the Palestinian enclave and offered instead to receive the ships at its port of Ashdod, inspect the cargo and then transport it overland to Gaza.
An Israeli government investigation commission is expected to conduct a separate investigation into the Israeli attack, simultaneously with the army's investigation.
Turkey condemned the act of aggression and recalled its ambassador from Israel. Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Thursday that Turkey would never forgive Israel for the killing of Turkish citizens.
Eight of the nine activists confirmed dead in the attack were Turkish citizens. Mass anti-Israeli protests took place in Istanbul and Ankara last week as the country paid its last respects to the victims.
The Hamas Islamist movement, which has controlled Gaza since summer 2007, has refused to allow the seized Freedom Flotilla cargo into the enclave until Turkey gives the go-ahead.
Many of the 1.5 million people living in Gaza lack sufficient supplies of clean water and other vital items.
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