"The fact-finding mission concluded that a series of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, were committed by the Israeli forces," said the 56-page report.
The report described the circumstances of the deaths of "at least six of the passengers" as being "consistent with ... an arbitrary and summary execution."
Israel has maintained its troops used force on the activists in May after they were attacked by those on board one boat. Soldiers were attacked with knives, metal poles and other objects, Israeli officials have said.
But passengers on board the boat insist Israeli troops fired on them without provocation.
"The report published today is as biased and as one-sided as the body that has produced it," the Israeli government said. "Israel, therefore, is of the opinion that the flotilla incident is amply and sufficiently investigated as it is. All additional dealing with this issue is superfluous and unproductive."
But Israel on Wednesday said it was conducting its own investigation and will participate in a panel of inquiry called by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The Human Rights Council, which indicated it spoke with more than 100 witnesses, said Israeli troops "demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence" against flotilla passengers during the May 31 interception.
It said there was also evidence of wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment and injury that would warrant prosecution within the Fourth Geneva Convention.
"The Mission is satisfied not only that the flotilla presented no imminent threat but that the interception was motivated by concerns about the possible propaganda victory that might be claimed by the organizers of the flotilla," the council's fact-finding mission declared.
After Israeli forces landed on one vessel, a struggle for control of the ship began. Israeli forces fired at wounded people and killed several people who posed no threat, the report said. "The circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution," it added.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said that Israel went to great diplomatic lengths to stop the flotilla heading to the Palestinian territory of Gaza, and when that didn't work, it considered the implications of the use of force and weighed the possibility of simply letting the flotilla through.
In the end, Israel made the right decision, Barak said recently in testimony before an Israeli commission looking into the incident.
The incident left a wide-ranging military and diplomatic alliance between the Jewish state and Turkey, its powerful regional ally, badly shaken. The flotilla departed from Turkey.
Reader Comments
I was under the impression that it was to take place between the 24th-28th of this month?
I know everyone likes to think that everything in the world is a conspiracy by "The Man" but that just isn't so. I've seen the video from the flotilla raid and the Israelis were under attack by the mob before they even had boots on deck. They landed on five other ships without incident, but that ship was waiting for a fight.
I think it is really sad that people like to cultivate lies to support their personal beliefs instead of just watching the video, seeing what actually happened, and then making an informed decision based off of fact.
Informed facts. Like maybe the fact I watched a video of a first hand account of one of the individuals who disarmed an Israeli commando. Maybe the fact I watched a youtube video of the intial contact via radio of the IDF to the flottilla, later that video was pulled. A new video replaced it where in response to the IDF asking the flottilla to cease the intrusion into gaza waters it now said 'go back to auschwitz'. How about the flickr account where they posted images taken aboard the ship, the exif was checked out and pictures showing body armour was dated from four years ago. How about the megaphone desktop tool calling 40,000 people to flood all opinion polls and forums with pro-zionist propaganda when this incident took place. As much as Zionists would like to bury the facts, I watched them take place scene for scene. IDF was disarmed aboard the vessel. They came back and executed aid workers who took part in disarming them.
think it is really sad that people like to cultivate lies to support their personal beliefs instead of just watching the video, seeing what actually happened, and then making an informed decision based off of fact.
I think you need to evaluate your own personal beliefs and the myriad of factual information that is available and not solely on the video that has shown to be biased.
"I think you need to evaluate your own personal beliefs and the myriad of factual information that is available"
I fully agree that everyone must make their own decisions and I feel that it is a sad trend in the United States that it doesn't happen. Too many people have begun to form their opinions based off of the biased opinion of television and radio personalities.
I do believe that in this specific incidence the IDF was well within their right to defend themselves. The people on that ship were obviously (IMO) hostile and although any loss of life is always tragic I can not find fault in a man for defending himself, all politics aside.
Thank you for your open-mindedness and intelligence; it pleases me greatly to hear someone express their own opinion and not just relay the opinion of their favorite talk show host :-)
By murdering unarmed civilians aboard supply ships in INTERNATIONAL waters? This is not a tradgedy, it is an act of PIRACY.
That takes some form of 'tapdancing', tapuout4985, seriously it does. But, then I suppose no plan is completely foolproof and the IDF couldn't prevent some of the truth coming out then, just as it did during the Dubai assassination.
- Tapuout said: "I can not find fault in a man for defending himself"
"The report described the circumstances of the deaths of "at least six of the passengers" as being "consistent with ... an arbitrary and summary execution."
Defence ???
Yeah sure.
is clearly living in his own reality bubble where black is white and up is down. I don't blame him/her though... the media has completely brainwashed most people.
And he seems to be going by the videos that were proven fabrications staged by the Israelis where people walk through solid obstacles on video. Discernment is not given to all, alas, or even to the many.
Is rather agonisingly apparent and I rather think that Israel isn't finished yet.
I think they are under 'orders' from above to start Armageddon. Which will mean a false flag operation with Iran in their sites. Should be happening fairly soon. Some time in November perhaps?
They haven't done anything fragrantly illegal, internationally, since the raid on the flotila. If they are planning on setting up Iran for attack the planning of this false flag has to be convincing enough to convince all the usual "idiots".... Which unfortunately is all together too easy.