Soldier 'looted Gaza blockade ship'

The Israeli military said today a soldier had been charged with looting the lead ship in a Gaza blockade-busting flotilla stopped by naval commandos in a bloody raid.

The military said the soldier was accused of stealing equipment from the Mavi Marmara after it was towed to an Israeli port.

The statement said the soldier’s actions “directly contradict the Israeli military’s moral standards”.

Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed when the Israeli commandos were attacked and opened fire in May. Both sides say they acted in self-defence.

The bloody raid sparked an outcry and forced Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza, aimed at weakening its Hamas rulers and preventing weapons shipments.