Gaza incident investigation committee to be formed in Israel

PanARMENIAN.Net - A formal Israeli announcement of its own civilian investigation into last week's interception of an aid flotilla to Gaza was being held up as Israel negotiated with the U.S. to ward off a separate, internationally organised probe.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had over the past days convened a forum of seven senior ministers to discuss the formation of an investigative committee. Israeli newspapers reported Tuesday that the forum had decided to form a committee with limited powers.

However, the announcement of that group was being delayed as Israel sought guarantees from the U.S. that its creation would call off a push for a probe organised by international groups.

Israel wants to avoid an international investigation modelled similarly to the UN fact-finding commission into the 2008-2009 Gaza war, headed by former South African judge Richard Goldstone. Israel rejected the outcome of that investigation as biased.

The seven-minister forum late Monday approved the formation of a committee that would include prestigious former justices and experts of international law, as well as two foreign observers - most likely one American and the other either French or Italian - said the newspapers, quoting senior government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

It would, however, not be a formal state commission of inquiry headed by a supreme court judge, with the power to summon witnesses, make binding recommendations or allocate personal responsibility for any mistakes made during the operation, M&C News reported.