Israel Outraged After ICC Judges Urge Revisiting 2010 Flotilla Raid

"In a rare move that sparked a fire storm in Israel, judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague called on the court's prosecutor Thursday to reconsider her decision not to investigate the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla incident.

The flotilla, organized by the Turkish IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which has been found to have links to terrorist groups, attempted to illegally breach the maritime blockade placed on the Gaza Strip, with activists violently resisting the Israeli commandos who boarded one of the vessels. Nine Turkish citizens died and 10 Israeli soldiers were injured in the ensuing clashes.

Last November, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda declined a request by the Union of the Comoros to launch a probe into the May 31, 2010 boarding of the Mavi Marmara, which was sailing under a Comoros flag.

In the latest ruling, the judges said prosecutors should review the November conclusion that alleged crimes committed during the attack lacked sufficient gravity and scale to be investigated...

Israel, meanwhile, said Thursday that it 'harshly condemns' the judges' call to reconsider the decision.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, 'The IDF soldiers acted out of self-defense when they stopped the attempt to breach the naval blockade that is in accordance with international law as determined by a committee appointed by the U.N. secretary-general, a committee led by a Supreme Court justice and international observers.

At a time when in Syria, [President Bashar] Assad is slaughtering hundreds and thousands of his own people, in Iran, hundreds are being executed, and in Gaza, Hamas is using children as human shields, the court is choosing to focus on Israel out of cynical political reasons.

In the face of this hypocrisy, our soldiers will continue to defend us on the frontline and we will continue to defend them in the international arena,' Netanyahu said..."