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The United States expects an Israeli investigation of the deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla to be carried out "promptly," the White House said after Israel announced the probe.
"While Israel should be afforded the time to complete its process, we expect Israel's commission and military investigation will be carried out promptly," said a statement by press secretary Robert Gibbs.
"We also expect that, upon completion, its findings will be presented publicly and will be presented to the international community."
The White House described Israel's announcement of an "independent public commission" including two foreign observers to investigate its May 31 naval raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in which nine Turkish activists were killed, "an important step forward."
The two foreign observers would be Irish Noble Peace Prize winner David Trimble and Ken Watkin, a former judge advocate general of the Canadian armed forces, the statement said.
Israel and Egypt cut off most access to the Gaza Strip when Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by Hamas and other militants during a cross-border raid in June 2006. The closure was tightened further the following year when the Islamist group, which has fired thousands of rockets and mortar rounds into Israel, seized power in Gaza.
