UN sets up panel to inquire into Israel flotilla attack
By IANSMonday, August 2, 2010
UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday announced the setting up of a panel to inquire into Israel’s attack on an international aid flotilla May 31, which left nine people dead.
Israeli navy commandos boarded a pro-Palestinian international aid flotilla May 31 and clashed with activists on one of the ships, leaving nine dead - eight of them Turkish citizens - and dozens wounded.
Former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer will be the panel chair and outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe will be the vice-chair, Ban said.
With two additional members - one each from Israel and Turkey - the panel will begin its work Aug 10 and submit the first progress report by mid September, Xinhua reported.
Ban thanked leaders of Israel and Turkey for their “spirit of compromise and forward-looking attitude”.
“I sincerely hope that this will greatly, positively contribute to the peace process as well as improvement of relations between Israel and Turkey,” he said.
