THE ISRAELI investigation into the naval raid on ships bringing aid to Gaza is expected to conclude that the troops were not guilty of war crimes and that Israel acted according to international law.
The Jerusalem Postyesterday quoted an unidentified source working closely with the commission, as saying that the findings, to be released on Sunday, were adopted unanimously.
Nine activists were killed in clashes when Israeli commandos stormed the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara in international waters in the Mediterranean last May, causing a crisis in Israeli-Turkish relations.
The three-member panel, headed by retired supreme court judge Jacob Turkel, heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, defence minister Ehud Barak and outgoing army chief of staff Lieut Gen Gabi Ashkenazi. Soldiers who participated in the raid were not authorised to testify.
Former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble, one of the two non-voting foreign observers on the commission, said the panel members “were determined that the inquiry be rigorous”.
The inquiry was mandated to examine the security circumstances leading to the imposition of the Israeli maritime blockade on Gaza and the conformity of the blockade to the rules of international law, as well as the legality of the raid and the actions taken by Turkey and the flotilla organisers.
In his testimony, Mr Netanyahu defended the actions of the soldiers, claiming they acted in self-defence after being “brutally attacked” by activists using metal bars, clubs, knives and even guns.
In July, a separate Israeli military investigation concluded that intelligence and operational errors occurred in the interception of the flotilla.
The United Nations set up its own investigation into the raid, chaired by former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, with Israeli and Turkish participation.
In a separate development yesterday, Israeli troops killed an armed Palestinian who approached a military post near the West Bank settlement of Mevo Dotan. The army said the soldiers opened fire when the young man fired an assault rifle after refusing soldiers’ orders to stop.
Relatives said the victim, named as Sami Samoudi (23), was seeking to avenge the death of a relative who was killed at a West Bank military checkpoint two weeks ago while trying to attack soldiers.
The army has decided to discharge a career soldier who shot dead a 65-year old man during a raid earlier this month in the West Bank city of Hebron aimed at capturing a Hamas fugitive.
An army statement expressed “deep regret” over the death of Amr Qawasme.
A military investigation determined that while the shooting was carried out because the soldier felt his life was threatened, it was carried out in an “unprofessional manner”.
Sobheye Qawasme, the victim’s wife, said about 60 soldiers broke into their house in the middle of the night and shot her husband while he was asleep in bed. “I don’t know how I will deal with life after this disaster which has fallen on our heads,” she said.