2010-08-09 21:02

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) sits before testifying to a state-appointed inquiry into the Israeli naval raid on a Gaza aid flotilla, in Jerusalem August 9, 2010. [Agencies]

JERUSALEM - The Turkel committee, an investigation panel into Israeli navy's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in late May, starts its first round of inquiring of Israeli high officials on Monday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears on the first day of the hearings, which is expected to last several days this week with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi also to testify in the following days.

Netanyahu said before the committee that Israel is facing threats from Hamas, who controls the Palestinian strip at the present, adding that Israel has four policies in concern with Gaza now, namely to rescue the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, to respond to the rockets attacks, to stop arms delivering into Gaza, and to stop humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Answering questions from the committee members, the prime minister said that the decision to board one of the ship among the flotilla was made by authorized army officials, and every step was followed by the military and Prime Minister Office's legal advisors.

The Turkel Committee, a commission of inquiry approved by the Israeli cabinet on June 14, was formed to investigate the May 31 commando raid aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which ended in the deaths of nine foreign nationals, and the legality of the continued maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.

It is headed by retired Israeli Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel and included other two Israelis and two international observers.

Local media reported that Netanyahu has spent the last few days writing the speech he presented as a prelude to the commission members' questions. The Israeli prime minister last week consulted with his lawyer and, according to reports, spent recent days conducting simulation games with his personal advisor in preparation for questions he may be required to answer by the commission.