Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to cut short his visit to Canada and the United States and return to Israel, following the Israel Navy’s storming on Monday morning of an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli leader will meet his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, as planned, and will then leave for Israel, Mr. Netanyahu’s office said.
The premier’s early return means he will not be meeting US President Barack Obama on Tuesday, as planned.
Some 10 people were killed when Israeli naval commandos stormed a six—ship flotilla bound for Gaza before dawn on Monday, after the ships rejected a demand to either turn back, or make for the Israeli port of Ashdod, where their aid cargo would be unloaded and inspected before being transferred to the land.
The Israeli assault set off waves of condemnation and protests around the world.
