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Netanyahu threat to UN if soldiers questioned
Israel will not cooperate with a United Nations inquiry into its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May if its soldiers are to be questioned.
The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made the threat after the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, denied there was an agreement not to question soldiers who took part.
Netanyahu ''makes it clear that Israel will not co-operate with, or take part in any panel that seeks to interrogate Israeli soldiers,'' said a text message sent by Netanyahu's press spokesman, Nir Hefez.
Israeli soldiers shot dead nine Turkish citizens aboard the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, the lead vessel in the six-ship humanitarian convoy that was trying to break Israel's maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
According to Ban the main job of the UN panel, led by a former New Zealand prime minister, Geoffrey Palmer, which held its first meeting in New York on Tuesday, would be to examine reports by separate Turkish and Israeli inquiries.