<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Israel’s internal inquiry into killing of humanitarian aid workers finds no&nbsp;wrongdoing]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><span class="article-details"><span class="article-detail"> Sunday January 23, 2011 19:21</span><span class="article-detail"> by Saed Bannoura &#8211; IMEMC News</span></span></p>
<blockquote class="article-intro"><p><strong>The commission created by the Israeli  government to ‘investigate’ the Israeli attack on a humanitarian aid  flotilla in international waters in May 2010 has issued its first  report, claiming that Israeli soldiers “acted in self defense”. The  “internal investigation” has been called into question by international  bodies for its failure to interview any of the hundreds of witnesses on  the ships, relying only on the testimonies of the soldiers themselves.</strong></p></blockquote>
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<p class="photo"><a name="attachment36413"></a> <a href="http://www.imemc.org/attachments/jan2011/twitpicmavimarmara108906085.jpg"><img class="summary-image" title="Click on image to see full-sized version" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.imemc.org/cache/imagecache/local/attachments/jan2011/460_0___10000000_0_0_0_0_0_twitpicmavimarmara108906085.jpg" alt="Route of Mavi Marmara and other aid ships when they were attacked (file photo)" width="460" height="281" /></a><br />
<em>Route of Mavi Marmara and other aid ships when they were attacked (file photo)</em></p>
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<p class="article">The  ‘Turkel Commission’ (named after the retired Supreme Court Judge which  heads it) also claimed that Israel’s 3.5 year-long siege on the Gaza  Strip, which some Israeli officials have described as “putting the  population of Gaza on a diet” – and which has resulted in malnutrition  rates of up to 45% among children, is not a violation of international  law.</p>
<p>This is the first of two reports which will be released by the Turkel  Commission – the second will describe the Israeli government’s internal  process which led to the raid on the aid flotilla.</p>
<p>The Turkish government has been quick to criticize the report, calling  it one-sided and biased. Eight of the nine passengers who were killed on  the ‘Mavi Marmara’ ship by Israeli commandoes as they boarded aid ships  in international waters were Turkish, and one was Turkish-American.</p>
<p>The Commission decided that even though the ships were in international  waters, the Israeli naval assault was justified because the flotilla was  on its way to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid. This, despite  the fact that there is no provision in international maritime law that  allows attacks in international waters based the destination of the  cargo.</p>
<p>During the attack on the flotilla, hundreds of Israeli commandoes and  soldiers dropped onto the aid ships from helicopters and dozens of  Israelis naval vessels which surrounded the cargo ships. Israel claims  that the commandoes were attacked by passengers who tried to steal their  guns (the passengers were unarmed, and were inspected for weapons  before leaving port).</p>
<p>Although the Turkel Commission claims that they called for witnesses  from among the aid workers and none came forward, the aid workers had  all been threatened with arrest by the Israeli government if they came  to Israel to testify.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.imemc.org/article/60489">Israel’s internal inquiry into killing of humanitarian aid workers finds no wrongdoing &#8211; International Middle East Media Center</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Related to the Overview</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://wp.me/p16sn9-2H9">Turkey shocked at Israel Flotilla claims</a> <strong>[ Developing and updates continously ]</strong></li>
</ul>
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