News

A United Nations panel of experts has urged Israel to end the
extra-judicial killing of terror suspects, and to ensure civil and
political freedoms for Palestinians in occupied territory.

The
U.N. Human Rights Committee also called Friday for an end to the
blockade of Gaza. It questioned the independence of Israel's own inquiry
into the May 31 naval raid on a Gaza-bound relief supply ship.  Nine
Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed in the assault.

Israel admitted errors in planning the raid but justified the use of lethal force saying its marines came under attack.

Also
Friday, Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a rocket into Ashkelon on
Israel's Mediterranean coast on Friday, blowing out apartment windows
and damaging parked cars.  No injuries were reported.

There was
no immediate claim of responsibility from any group, but Israeli
officials say they will hold the Islamic militant group Hamas
responsible.

The U.N. charges are the latest in a series of
reports and sessions in which Israel has found itself on the defensive
at the United Nations regarding its policies in the occupied West Bank
and Gaza.

On July 23, another U.N. rights forum, the Human Rights
Council, appointed a team of international experts to investigate the
raid on the flotilla and called on all parties to cooperate.

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