Dubai: Amid international calls to end Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza, Israel remained defiant yesterday saying the siege would stay in place.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that easing controls would put Iranian missiles in the hands of Hamas. However, the New York Times reported that a change in approach to the Gaza siege is being considered by the White House.
"There is no question that we need a new approach to Gaza," said a senior American official. "Gaza has become the symbol in the Arab world of the Israeli treatment of Palestinians, and we have to change that. We need to remove the impulse for the flotillas."
If the reports are true this would signal a shift in US policy.
Meanwhile, the Arab League agreed to push the UN Security Council for an end to the siege, while British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed that it was time to end the blockade.
Premeditated murders
Israel also rejected calls from the UN and others for an international investigation of the flotilla attack.
In Istanbul, a massive funeral took place for the victims of the attack as anti-Israeli protests swept cities worldwide. Families reunited with their loved ones as many activists deported by Israel arrived in their home countries.
"We were witnesses to premeditated murders," said historian Mattias Gardell, who was on the Mavi Marmara with his wife, fellow historian Edda Manga, when Israeli commandos attacked the ship.
