Israel's cabinet approved Monday an Israeli inquiry into a deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla, responding to international demands for impartiality by putting two foreign observers on the panel. The decision coincided with growing signs that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was poised, under world pressure, to ease the flow of goods into the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, home to 1.5 million Palestinians. Middle East envoy Tony Blair said he hoped Israel would begin softening the blockade within days. Angered by the killing by Israeli commandos of nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists on May 31, Turkey said Israel's investigation would be biased and reiterated demands for a UN-controlled probe. Hamas spoke of an Israeli cover-up. Washington backed a UN Security Council statement that called for a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards”. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on a visit to Paris, said the Israeli panel “does not correspond to what the Security Council asked for”. Netanyahu had consulted on the issue with the US, which welcomed the Israeli inquiry. He did not appear to be in any political danger from a government-appointed inquiry, led by a former supreme court justice, with a narrow mandate. Netanyahu's cabinet voted unanimously to set up the commission headed by retired justice Jacob Turkel, the prime minister's office said. The commission will publish a report, but it was not immediately clear when it would issue findings. It will have the power to decide which of its sessions to open to the public.
