Demonstrations are taking place all over the world against the Israeli actions against the Freedom Flotilla in international waters where many people were killed and injured.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
(AFP) JOHANNESBURG--South Africa is recalling its ambassador to Israel in the wake of the deadly raid on an aid convoy bound for the Gaza Strip, a government official said yesterday.
"The recall of ambassador Ishmael Coovadia is to show our strongest condemnation of the attack. This recent Israel aggression of attacking the aid flotilla severely impacts on finding a lasting solution to the problems of the region," junior foreign minister Ebrahim Ebrahim told journalists in Pretoria.
"We are recalling him for consultation which suggests that after consultation he will go back to Tel Aviv. It’s not a permanent recall," Ebrahim added.
The South African government has already condemned the attack on the flotilla on Monday, in which nine people were killed, as "a gross violation of international law".
Hundreds of Turkish activists from the Gaza aid flotilla attacked by Israeli commandos returned home to a heroes’ welcome yesterday.
In the face of widespread protests over Monday’s raid, Israel rejected a UN Human Rights Council move to set up an international inquiry into the attack. But a new boat carrying Malaysian and Irish activists could arrive off Gaza on Saturday.
About 1 000 people, some chanting anti-Israeli slogans, packed Istanbul Airport in the middle of the night to greet planes that brought back 466 activists and nine bodies from Israel.
Three other planes brought 19 wounded activists. A separate flight carrying 31 Greek activists, three French nationals and an American flew into Athens where they were greeted by a government minister. Six Germans were also flown out of Israel.
The dead were eight Turks and a US national of Turkish origin, officials said. All had been shot, according to forensic experts quoted by Anatolia news agency.
Bulent Yildirim, head of the Islamic charity which spearheaded the Gaza aid operation, charged that Israeli soldiers had killed activists indiscriminately when they stormed the Mavi Marmara.
All the dead were on the Turkish ferry which led six ships trying to get through the blockade around the Palestinian enclave.
Yildirim highlighted the death of one journalist he named as Cevdet.
"He was just taking pictures. He was shot at from no more than a metre and his brain exploded . . . one of our friends was shot even after he had surrendered," Yildirim, who heads the Foundation of Humanitarian Relief, told reporters.
"They killed whoever they laid hands on. They even threw some of our friends into the sea."
Yildirim said activists attacked the Israeli forces with iron bars "in self defence". He added that they also seized the soldiers’ weapons but threw them in the sea rather than using them.
Israel has said the commandos opened fire after they came under attack.
Sydney Morning Herald journalist Paul McGeough told his newspaper from Turkey that Israeli commando boats had circled the flotilla like "hyenas hunting animals in the night" and that a colleague was shot with a stun gun.
Yildirim said the death toll was higher than announced.
"We were given the bodies of nine martyrs, but we have a longer list. There are missing people. Our doctors handed over 38 injured, on our return they (the Israelis) said there were only 21 injured."
He vowed to organise bigger convoys if Israel does not end its blockade of Gaza, which is ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas.
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said that ties with Israel "will never be the same" after the attack. — AFP.
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