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What happened was clear. IDF commandos planned and executed a premeditated attack against unarmed, nonviolent activists, trying to break Israel's illegal blockade to deliver essential aid. Cold-blooded murder resulted.
An independent UN Human Rights Council (HRC) fact-finding mission held Israel entirely culpable, calling its assault brutal and disproportionate. Based on eye witness testimonies, forensic evidence, video footage, and other photographic material, it:
"concluded that a series of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, were committed by the Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla and during the detention of passengers in Israel prior to deportation....The preponderance of evidence from impeccable sources is far too overwhelming to come to a contrary opinion."
Israel's justification on "security grounds" was called entirely baseless. Moreover, prosecuting Israeli criminals is warranted and essential under Fourth Geneva's Article 147, covering:
-- willful killing;
-- torture or inhuman treatment; and
-- deliberately causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health.
In emergency session ahead of its investigation, the HRC criticized Israel's "outrageous attack on aid ships attempting to breach a blockade on the Gaza Strip," calling it "piracy, (an) act of aggression, (a) brutal massacre, (an) act of terrorism, (a) war crime, (a) crime against humanity - unprovoked, unwarranted, atrocious, (and) brutal."
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