Turkey withdraws its ambassador to Israel and canceled three joint military drills on Monday

Turkey, which currently holds a rotating seat on the U.N. Security Council, demanded it meet about the killings,.

Three of the ships were Turkish-flagged, including the main passenger ship. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc Arinc said about 400 out of 581 passengers on the main ship, the Mavi Marmara, were Turks

According to the Israeli army on Monday, international activists aboard the flotilla of ships on their way to the Gaza Strip opened fire on IDF soldiers who boarded the ships to prevent them from breaking the Israeli-imposed sea blockade. "The flotilla's participants were not innocent and used violence against the soldiers. They were waiting for the forces' arrival". According to CNN, the organizers also declined a request by Noam Shalit, father of captive Israeli solider Gilad Shalit, to deliver aid, medicine and a letter to his son who was kidnapped by Hamas in June 2007.

Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel and canceled three joint military drills

for more: EJP | News | Western Europe | Turkey withdraws its ambassador to Israel over storming of flotilla

International Middle East Media Center: Hamas -Zahhar: “We presented our position to Suleiman, awaiting Israeli response”

Mahmood Zahar, Hamas Political Leadership

For the complete report from the International Middle East Media Center click on this link

Hamas-Zahhar, “We presented our position to Suleiman, awaiting Israeli response”

Mahmoud Zahhar, one of Hamas political leaders, stated on Sunday that the movement presented its response to 15 questions presented by the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Omar Suleiman, regarding a truce deal, and added that Israel needs also to answer these questions.Zahhar stated that the former US President Jimmy Carter asked Hamas to declare a unilateral truce but the movement told him that it has previous experiences with Israel as the movement, and other factions, previously declared unilateral truces but Israel continued its assaults and violations. He said that any truce deal should be bilateral and should be a comprehensive deal under Egyptian supervision. He further said that Hamas will discuss on Monday the proposals of Carter regarding the truce and will present its official position.

Responding to a question by Carter, Zahhar said that if a comprehensive peace deal is achieved with Israel, and if this deal was subject to public referendum, then Hamas will accept whatever the people decide as long as this referendum includes all Palestinians in Palestine and in exile.