国际英语新闻：UN chief unveils inquiry panel on flotilla attack

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday announced the setting-up of a panel of inquiry on Israel's attack against an international aid flotilla on May 31.

"This is uNPRecedented that we are establishing this panel," Ban told reporters, thanking leaders of Israel and Turkey for their "spirit of compromise and forward-looking attitude."

"I sincerely hope that this will greatly, positively contribute to the peace process as well as improvement of relations between Israel and Turkey," he said.

The panel will be led by "eminent personalities" -- former Prime Minister of New Zealand Geoffrey Palmer, who will be the panel chair, and outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who will be the vice-chair, Ban said.

With two additional members, one each from Israel and Turkey, the panel will begin its work on Aug. 10 and submit the first progress report by mid September, the secretary-general said.

Israeli navy commandos boarded a pro-Palestinian international aid flotilla on May 31 and clashed with activists on one of the ships. The violence left nine dead, eight of them Turkish citizens, and dozens wounded.

The Security Council adopted on June 1 a presidential statement, calling for "a transparent, credible, impartial and rapid inquiry, in line with international criteria."

The Israeli cabinet later then approved its own inquiry panel which was headed by former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Tirkel and included two foreign observers, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord William David Trimble and former Canadian judge advocate general Ken Watkin.

"I hope the panel will fulfill its mandate in accordance with the presidential statement of the Security Council, and submit its first progress report by mid September, and will continue to liaise with the ongoing domestic investigations of both Israel and Turkey," Ban said.

The panel will also give him recommendations for the prevention of similar incidents in the future, he noted.

"I sincerely hope that, by establishing this panel, this will impact positively to the improvement of relationship between Israel and Turkey and contribute positively again to the overall peace process in the Middle East," the secretary-general added.