Ron Prosor, Israel's Ambassador to the UK, has said the storming of a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza was not a success.

He told the Today programme's John Humphrys: "It's obvious - and I won't beat around the bush on this - that this wasn't successful and I think it clearly took up an issue that should have been solved differently."

"But they were also, on the other side, really trying to do everything in order to provoke and confront and those militant elements rendered something which was supposed to be a humanitarian issue way out of proportion."

The United Nations Security Council has condemned the loss of life during the Israeli assault. It has called for an immediate and impartial inquiry into the events and demanded that Israel release the vessels. The UN now says at least ten pro-Palestinian activists - most of them Turkish - were killed when Israeli commandos boarded the ships.

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