Israeli Probe: Deadly Flotilla Raid Was Justified

A commission created by the Israeli government has cleared the Israeli military and government of any wrongdoing in last year's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla of relief supplies that killed 8 Turkish citizens and a Turkish-American. The nearly 300-page report was based on the testimony of Israeli government and military officials and more than 1,000 hours of video footage; activists from the ships rejected invitations to testify. The raid was widely condemned by the international community, but the Israeli report said it was justified under international law, reports AP.

"I hope all those who rushed to judgment against Israel and its soldiers will read this report and learn the truth about what happened," said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The truth is that our soldiers were defending our country—and defending their very lives." But the Turkish government condemned the report, issuing a statement that they were "surprised, appalled, and dismayed."
(More Gaza aid flotilla attack stories.)