NEW YORK- Pressure on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza increased further Monday night as the UN Security Council prepared to call for an end to the blockade in the wake of a deadly attack on civilian aid ships in international waters. A Turkish charity in Gaza said that 19 people were missing; Israel put the death toll at 9. As outrage grew over Israel's attack on the flotilla of mostly Turkish aid vessels bound for Gaza, Security Council members, who had broken off from their spring holiday to hold an emergency session prepared a draft document calling on Israel to lift its blockade and immediately release the ships and hundreds of international activists arrested on board them. Israel was called on to explain its use of “disproportionate force” against the humanitarian workers and Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, said that he was shocked by the killings and demanded answers urgently. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. observer, called the attack on unarmed civilians on board foreign ships in international waters a “war crime,” and said it woul dnot stop more ships from attempting to celiver aid to Gaza. Earlier in the day, Israel's allies froze military ties and summoned its ambassadors over the storming of the flotilla, as Muslim leaders slammed the deadly raid as "criminal" and "inhuman". Israel's closest ally Washington described the loss of life as a "tragedy", on the eve of talks between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The United States deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," a White House spokesman said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed "regret" Monday over the loss of life in a raid on an aid convoy that left at least nine dead, but said Israeli troops acted to "defend their lives." "We regret the loss of life," Netanyahu said in Ottawa during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But he insisted the Israeli forces had acted to defend themselves, telling reporters later that the flotilla was seeking to smuggle into Gaza rockets or other weapons to attack the Jewish state. The raid by Israel troops "was to prevent the infiltration of thousands of rockets, missiles and other arms that could hit our cities, communities or people," the Israeli leader said. The Israeli soldiers "defended themselves from a lynching," he added. "I give my complete backing to the army, the soldiers and commanders who acted to defend the state and to protect their lives," he added. Netanyahu cut short his visit to Canada and cancelled his trip to Washington to return to Israel to deal with the crisis, after the incident provoked a wave of international criticism. The Israeli leader said he had called US President Barack Obama to tell him he would not be able to participate in White House talks scheduled for Tuesday. In a statement, Obama said he understood Netanyahu's decision, but stressed "the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances around this morning's tragic events as soon as possible."As the Vatican voiced "deep sadness and concern" and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair expressed "deep regret and shock" at the loss of life, capitals across Europe summoned Israel's ambassadors to explain the assault. Ankara responded with fury, recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv and warning the assault would have "irreparable consequences" to bilateral ties. Police held back angry crowds shouting "Damn Israel" outside Israel's missions to the country, as Turkey accused Israel of a "flagrant breach of international law," and "disregard for human life and peaceful initiatives". Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc also said plans for three joint military exercises with Israel had been scrapped. Greece, which had dozens of nationals in the convoy, pulled out of joint military exercises with Israel and cancelled a visit by its air force chief, as an aid group claimed that commandos in helicopters had fired on a Greek vessel. Israel said its troops were attacked after they stormed six ships loaded with thousands of tonnes of aid and with hundreds of activists aboard, and that both sides used live fire. Muslim leaders united in condemning what Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called a "massacre" and Arab League chief Amr Mousa said was a "crime". The Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza urged world Muslims to "rise up" in protest, as Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the raid as "inhuman Zionist regime action". Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which his country currently chairs. Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani "strongly condemned" the attack on a peaceful flotilla, as politicians, lawmakers and journalists staged a peaceful protest in Islamabad against Israel. Egypt condemned the "acts of killing" by Israel forces while Kuwait's parliament speaker said the storming of the flotilla, which was carrying 16 Kuwaitis including an MP, was a "heinous Israeli crime". And Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, said "there was no basis" for Israel's assault. In Europe, condemnation was equally swift. The European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanded Israel mount a "full inquiry," as member states ordered an emergency meeting of their ambassadors to the EU. Spain ��" the current European Union president ��" France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria and Greece summoned Israel's respective ambassadors, with Madrid slamming the operation as "unacceptable". France's President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of force". Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was "deeply concerned" about the deaths, while Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini "deplored" the loss of civilian life. British Foreign Secretary William Hague similarly deplored the loss of life, saying Israel must "act with restraint" ��" but also said London had warned of the risks of attempting to access Gaza in defiance of the blockade. Thousands of Palestinian refugees and activists demonstrated across Lebanon to denounce the raid, some chanting slogans like "Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza." Maen Bashur, a Lebanese coordinator for the mission, said activists considered those seized on board the ship as "war prisoners". A Cyprus MEP Kyriacos Triantafyllides, who was involved with the mission, said activists had "expected a strong reaction from Israel." "But nobody believed it would come to this point, where they would face something akin to an invading army," he said.
