Hague pitches it right

It would be wrong to pass comment on the loss of life on the Gaza Flotilla; the facts are not established. Israel is right to investigate convoys that it feels might be supplying Hamas with arms. But, as ever in the Middle East conflict, it must be determined whether Israel’s use of force was proportionate. Not that the answer to that question ever deters Hamas from terror or Israel from retaliation. Peace does not lie in abstract nouns.

However, international law will determine the facts of this incident, and perhaps bring clarity to the divisive Gaza border issue. William Hague’s statement is temperate, acknowledging both sides of the debate and calling for the abolition of the Gaza blockade policy – a policy that, regardless of the apparent sense in pursuing it, provokes Palestinian animosity and perpetuates violence. Counter-productive policy should always be abandoned.

‘I deplore the loss of life during the interception of the Gaza Flotilla.