Israel in eye of storm after ship raid

Israel faced a wave of global outrage over the storming of Gaza-bound aid ships yesterday, as key ally Turkey froze military ties, Muslim leaders demanded UN action and protests erupted in many countries.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "shocked" by the naval assault on a convoy carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists through international waters, while capitals across Europe summoned Israel's ambassadors.

Mr Ban called on Israel to "urgently" explain itself over the raid, reported to have killed up to nine people, many of them Turks, and the UN Security Council had scrambled to convene emergency talks on the crisis.

The Jewish state's chief regional partner Turkey reacted with fury, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing the raid as "inhuman state terror" and calling an emergency Nato meeting in Brussels.

Turkey also scrapped joint war games and recalled its ambassador.

Tens of thousands of Turks took to the streets with protesters in Istanbul burning Israeli flags, shouting "Damn Israel!" and demanding "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!"

Washington, Israel's closest ally, expressed deep regret over the loss of life while US President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it was important to find out "all the facts" as soon as possible.

Nato said it was "deeply concerned about the loss of life".

The Vatican voiced "deep sadness and concern" and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair expressed his "deep regret and shock".

Greece, which had dozens of nationals in the convoy, also pulled out of joint military exercises with Israel as an aid group claimed that commandos in helicopters had fired on a Greek vessel.

Israel, which has blockaded Gaza since its bitter foe Hamas was elected to power three years ago, said its troops were attacked after they stormed six ships and that both sides used live fire.

Muslim leaders united in condemning what Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called a "massacre" and Arab League chief Amr Mussa said was a "crime".

The Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza urged world Muslims to "rise up" in protest, as Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the raid as "inhuman Zionist regime action".

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri described the raid as "dangerous and crazy" and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, chaired by Beirut until midnight in New York. Across the country Palestinian refugees and activists demonstrated to denounce the raid, chanting slogans like "Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza".

The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard Falk, called for a worldwide boycott and sanctions against Israel for its "murderous behaviour".

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a pan-Islamic group, called on Israel to release all the boats and arrested activists and take action against those responsible for the raid.

Pakistan also "strongly condemned" the attack on a "peaceful flotilla," as politicians, lawmakers and journalists protested in Islamabad against Israel.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak slammed the use of "excessive and unjustified force" and summoned Israel's ambassador while Jordan, the only other Arab country along with Egypt to have a peace treaty with Israel, handed Israel a protest note.

Kuwait's Parliament Speaker said the storming of the flotilla, which was carrying 16 Kuwaitis including an MP, was a "heinous Israeli crime".

And Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, said "there was no basis" for Israel's assault.

In Europe, condemnation was equally swift, with the European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanding Israel mount a "full inquiry". Protests involving hundreds of people erupted in Britain and France.

Spain - the current European Union President - France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria summoned Israel's respective ambassadors, with Madrid slamming the operation as "unacceptable".

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a "disproportionate use of force" while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had telephoned the leaders of both Israel and Turkey to express her "deep concern".