A new Gaza flotilla may be in the preparation, but UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has tried to discourage such an effort. (Photos are of last Years Gaza Flotilla and Preparations for this year in Turkey and Italy). He has also encouraged governments in the Mediterranean to take steps - “to use their influence to discourage such flotillas which carry the potential to escalate into violent conflict.”

UN Secretary General’s Statement
“The Secretary-General called on all Governments concerned to use their influence to discourage such flotillas, which carry the potential to escalate into violent conflict. He further called on all, including the Government of Israel, to act responsibly and with caution to avoid any violent incident. The Secretary-General reiterated that, while he believed that flotillas were not helpful in resolving the basic economic problems in Gaza, the situation there remains unsustainable. He urged the Government of Israel to take further meaningful and far-reaching steps to end the closure of Gaza, within the framework of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009). In particular, he underlined that it was essential for the operation of legitimate crossings to be adequate to meet the needs of Gaza's civilian population.

Last Year’s Flotilla
(From UN News Centre) It was almost one year ago, on 31 May 2010, that Israel raided a six-ship convoy in international waters that was carrying humanitarian goods and activists and heading for Gaza, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians and the wounding of at least 30 others.

Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza for what it called security reasons after Hamas, which does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, ousted the Fatah movement in the Strip in 2007. The two factions reached a deal earlier this month agreeing to form a national unity government and hold elections within a year.

A Second Panel on Last Year’s Flotilla
A fact-finding mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (Bottom Photo) following the incident last May found that the conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the passengers on the flotilla was “disproportionate and excessive.” A separate panel of inquiry was set up by Mr. Ban to look into the same incident. It was announced today that the Secretary-General has agreed to extend its working period. “All four members of the panel agreed that more time was needed for them to work on their final report, and to explore the possibility of reaching consensus on the outcome,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson stated.
Related Reports:

---“Geneva – Gaza Flotilla” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/geneva-gaza-flotilla/22340

---“Israel Maestro for Gaza Part 2” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/israeli-maestro-for-gaza-2/26693

---“Gaza Water” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/gaza-water/25814


By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey

Facebook, Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect”

Twitter – Follow us at DiplomaticallyX