NEW YORK--The UN Security Council has issued a statement calling for an impartial inquiry into Israel's raid on a flotilla of Gaza-bound aid ships. The statement said the inquiry should be "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent". The language of the final statement was weaker than the original draft, according to close sources. At least nine activists were killed when Israeli commandos stormed the ships in international waters. Earlier, Turkey's foreign minister called Israel's actions "murder by a state". Israel's UN envoy claimed troops acted in self-defence when activists attacked them, charges the campaigners deny. For Israel, there are likely to be severe diplomatic consequences. Pressure to end the Gaza blockade will increase - from Israel's allies, as well as its enemies. The damage done to what remains of Israel's alliance with Turkey is serious. Turkey is important because it straddles Europe and the Muslim Middle East - where it has real diplomatic influence. Israel always relied on Turkish support. That is no longer possible. One question is how strongly the US tries to water down any criticism. Their own relations with Israel have been in crisis. The talks they are sponsoring between Israel and the Palestinians will probably continue, but under an even darker cloud. "This flotilla was anything but a humanitarian mission," Israel's deputy UN ambassador Daniel Carmon said. He said the activists had used "knives, clubs and other weapons" to attack the soldiers who boarded the lead boat, the Mavi Marmara. The campaigners insist the soldiers opened fire without any provocation. Some of the over 600 protesters on board, including a former US ambassador, are to be deported, while others are being detained and questioned at Beersheva Prison in southern Israel, the BBC's Jon Donnison reports from Gaza. Israel has imposed an information blackout, making it difficult to gather first-hand accounts from the campaigners.
