Moscow, June 07: Russia today called for immediate lifting of Israels blockade of the Gaza Strip, to ensure lasting peace in West Asia, in accordance with the international law.
”One of the priorities is to ensure a lasting peace in West Asia in compliance with the norms of international law,” special representative for West Asia Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said.
”Now it is extremely important to contribute to creating favourable conditions for achieving this goal and preventing such actions in contravention with the norms of international law when Israel seized a peaceful convoy carrying humanitarian aid,” the diplomat said. ”The blockade had created a difficult humanitarian, social and economic situation for the Gazas population,” Itar-Tass news agency quoted Mr Saltanov as saying.
A humanitarian convoy of six ships carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid and 750 human rights activists and journalists from 50 countries was heading from Cyprus to Gaza but was stopped by Israeli corvettes halfway.
Palestinian Ambassador to Moscow Fayed Mustafa earlier called for setting up an international commission to investigate the Freedom Flotilla incident. ”Only one thing can stop Israel, the creation of an international commission that will name those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said, adding ”If the international community forgives Israel for what it has done again, it will continue its bloody activities.” The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier the use of force against civilians and the detention of the Freedom Flotilla ships was a gross violation. ”We condemn this and are seriously concerned about the situation,” the official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Andrei Nesterenko said, stressing ”All circumstances of the incident have to be investigated.” ”Obviously, the use of arms against civilians and the detention of the ships at sea is a gross violation,” he said.
—–Agencies