Last week’s attack left nine Turkish peace activists dead after Israeli commandos opened fire on the volunteers who were taking humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. Turkey unofficially supported the flotilla. The attack increased the tension between Turkey and Israel, with Turkey deciding to reduce military and trade ties with Israel as a result. It has also threatened to break ties unless Israel apologizes.
Zuhri also condemned the killings of four Palestinians in diving suits off the coast of Gaza early on Monday by the Israeli navy.
“The bloody escalation today is a desperate attempt by the occupation government to divert the world’s attention away from the massacre committed on board the flotilla,” the spokesman told reporters in Gaza.
Israel defended the operation on the Palestinians, saying its forces had prevented an attack on Israeli targets, but did not provide any further details.
Israel is currently under heavy pressure to agree to an international investigation of the raid on the aid flotilla. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a proposal by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for an international commission to investigate the raid, but officials said Netanyahu was open to an investigation that would look into the actions of the activists as well.
Late Sunday, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying he had discussed the international criticism with world leaders, including US Vice President Joe Biden, the president of France and the prime minister of Canada.
