Israel avoids ‘war crimes’ action over flotilla raid

Israeli forces may have committed war crimes when they stormed an aid flotilla boat heading to Gaza, but the possible crimes aren’t grave enough to merit a prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC), its prosecutor said yesterday.

Eight Turks and one Turkish-American were killed and several other pro-Palestinian activists were wounded when Israeli commandos stormed the Mavi Marmara on May 31, 2010.

“Following a thorough legal and factual analysis of the information available, I have concluded there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC were committed on one of the vessels ...when Israeli Defence Forces intercepted the ‘Gaza Freedom Flotilla’ on 31 May 2010,” Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.