As if not enough tension has already accumulated in the the MIddle East involving Israel during the past recent weeks, a delegation representing three-hundred activists filed complaint over Israel's raid on Gaza-bound flotilla which left nine activists dead. Discussed in the article, Families of Gaza Flotilla Victims Accuse Israel of War Crimes in The Hague, by Danna Harman, the delegation, consisting of numerous victims' families and a Turkish non-government organization under their legal representative Ugur Sevgili, strongly believe war crimes against humanity had been committed during the May 31 raid, and insist that the International Criminal Court in The Hague further investigate upon this matter. "We demanded from the prosecutor to initiate an investigation and prosecute the perpetrators of those crime," Sevgilli said. "We didn't mention any Israeli soldiers or any Israeli politicians. We just told them that we believe war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed."
Although Sevgilli and many family members of the Gaza-bound flotilla victims certainly believe that the Court will initiate prosecution, unfortunately many suspect that due to its political atmosphere, politics might get in the way of justice. For example, a similar prosecution that took place last September founded that Israel violated certain human rights law during its interception of a flotilla destined for Gaza. Israel, however, completely rejected the panel's finding arguing the investigation was completely conducted by pro-Palestinians sympathizers, hence resulting in a biased conclusion.
By further augmenting the Israel/Palestinian historical dispute, since nine of the victims killed during the incident were Turkish citizens, it weakened an already fragile relationship between Israel and Turkey, previously Israel's strongest ally in the Muslim world.
Over the years, Israel maintained that the blockade is necessary to limit Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza attacks from the Gaza Strip on its cities and to prevent Hamas from obtaining other weapons. However, facing mounting international calls to ease or lift their blockade, Egypt and Israel lessened the restrictions starting in June 2010. With further incidents such as this one continuing to erupt, even more criticism and antagonism will only emerge over the justification and legitimacy of this blockade.
Written by journalist Danna Harman, a Haaretz correspondent who has been dispatched to numerous Middle Eastern countries including Turkey, Egypt, and Israel to gather relevant and authentic news stories, I have found this article to be written very well, containing relevant and supportive evidence to her points, providing sufficient details that contain substance and aren't simply generalizations, and remains objective over this disputed, much-heated situation. For instance, while stating the pro-Palestinian delegation claim that war crimes were committed, she equivocally presented the pro-Israel side, which argue that the "[Israel] troops fired live ammunition only after they were attacked by activists with clubs and metal bars and they felt their lives were in danger." Moreover, instead of leaning toward one side, she briefly explains the historical problems and the political dimension that this incident holds, as it inevitably locks Israel supporters against Palestinian-supporters once again.
By providing quotes from major notable characters from this event, a brief history of the International Criminal Court, and discussing its potential problematic implication to this hostile region, the reported news information released in this article overall seemed reliable, accurate, and credible.
