Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Thursday that Israel is continuing “atrocity and assault” in the Middle East in violation of human rights and international law. Moussa, speaking at an economic forum between Turkey and Arab nations, said “Israel is the main reason for the black hole in the region.” He also praised Turkey for challenging Israel following the May 31 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that left eight Turks and a Turkish-American teenager dead. Turkey and 20 Arab nations expressed “grave concern and condemnation for the Israeli aggression” on Gaza-bound aid ships. A joint statement called on the United Nations to investigate in a “credible, thorough and transparent manner” Israel's deadly boarding May 31 of an aid ship that attempted to break the blockade of Gaza. Thursday's statement denounced the action “as blatant violations of international humanitarian law” and deplored the “civilian casualties.”
