Earlier, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told WND, "The [international] board of inquiry is very much on the table."
But today WND learned that Israel has agreed to let the U.N. investigation go forward.
The official announcement, which could come yet this weekend, would contain Israeli and Turkish elements and likely be chaired by New Zealand, say U.N. sources.
Gaza has been under an Israeli naval blockade since June 2007, after the terrorist group Hamas assumed power in Gaza and kidnapped Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier Gilad Shalit in mid-2006. Shalit remains captive 4 years later.
In the Israeli commando flotilla raid on May 30 – "Operation Sea Breeze/Sky Winds" – nine people were killed, leading to a rupture in relations between Israel and Turkey.
Ankara has insisted on a public apology by Jerusalem. Israel insists "it has nothing to apologize for."
Jerusalem did, however, decide to form its own independent panel to review the incident. Preliminary findings concluded that the commando group had been "ill prepared" for the operation.
The United Nations, under U.S. and Israeli pressure, had slowed down repeated Arab Group requests to form its own commission of inquiry. Washington and Jerusalem suspect that such an "inquiry" could set the ground for a wider action, such as involvement by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
As such, in an unusual strategy, the U.N. has been repeatedly visited by a series of high-level Israeli leaders since the May conflict to press its case.
By Stewart Stogel - Read more at WND
