WEST BANK: Palestinian President Abbas says Israel planned attack on maritime convoy

Record ID: 561369

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian President Abbas says Israel planned attack on maritime convoy
  • Date: 1st June 2010
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 31, 20 10) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS CONVENING MEETING OF PALESTINIAN LEADERS FROM ALL FACTIONS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS, SAYING: "There is no doubt that Israel had planned for this attack and it meant to take part in this in order to put down the world and the people from supporting the Palestinian people. This is why it carried out this sinful attack in this sinful massacre against those innocent." POSTER OF JERUSALEM'S DOME OF THE ROCK "We have started our diplomatic and political moves, with the United Nations and we asked the Security Council to hold an emergency and immediate session, as well as the Lebanese and Turkish brothers have asked for this. We also asked the Arab League to hold another meeting and the Islamic council to hold a meeting, because this painful and sad event should not just be allowed to pass. Our voices should be raised and we should express our condemnation and opposition to this sinful act which Israel took part in." WIDE OF MEETING
  • Embargoed: 16th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4HV9KJN1ITI5GEW22DHIOQH2G
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned on Monday (May 31) an Israeli raid on a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza, which killed 10 pro-Palestinian activists and triggered a profound diplomatic crisis.
    Abbas called a meeting of Palestinian leaders at the Presidential headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah where he denounced the attack as a "sinful massacre".
    "There is no doubt that Israel had planned for this attack and it meant to take part in this in order to put down the world and the people from supporting the Palestinian people. This is why it carried out this sinful attack in this sinful massacre against those innocent," Abbas said at the meeting.
    The Palestinian Authority, Lebanon and Turkey have called on the United Nation's Security Council to hold an emergency meeting and take action against the Israeli raid.
    "We have started our diplomatic and political moves, with the United Nations and we asked the Security Council to hold an emergency and immediate session, as well as the Lebanese and Turkish brothers have asked for this. We also asked the Arab League to hold another meeting and the Islamic council to hold a meeting, because this painful and sad event should not just be allowed to pass. Our voices should be raised and we should express our condemnation and opposition to this sinful act which Israel took part in," Abbas said.
    Israel's allies in Europe, as well as the United Nations and Turkey, voiced shock and outrage at the bloody end to a bid by international campaigners to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israel's navy stopped six ships ferrying 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies toward the Islamist-run Palestinian enclave.
    As once-close Muslim ally Turkey accused Israel of an act of "terrorism" in international waters, the U.N. Security Council prepared an emergency session in New York. But in Washington, Israel's powerful friend the United States said only that it regretted the loss of life and was looking into the "tragedy".
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Canada and expressed full support for the navy operation, cut short a visit to North America that was to have ended on Tuesday (June 1) with a meeting at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama.
    As the captured foreign vessels were escorted into Israel's port of Ashdod, accounts were sketchy of the pre-dawn operation, some 120 km (75 miles) out in the Mediterranean.
    Senior Israeli defence officials said 10 activists died on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish cruise ship carrying 581 people, after commandos came under fire, including with weapons that the activists had snatched from the boarding party. Seven of the troops and 20 protesters were injured, the military said.
    Israel imposed a communications blackout on those aboard the convoy and other accounts of events were not available. Consular officials were at Ashdod seeking access to detained foreigners.
    It was unclear who the casualties were. A senior Israeli naval officer said most of the dead were Turks. The convoy also featured Americans, Israelis, Palestinians and many Europeans.
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