The Haaretz daily said that internal discussions between defense officials and Justice Ministry officials over the past few weeks have suggested that a cautious apology could stop possible lawsuits by Turkish organizations against Israel Defense Forces officers and bring the affair to an end.
A report by the UN-sponsored Palmer Committee on the incident, of which Israel received a draft earlier this month, is scheduled to be released in a few weeks.
The report focuses on the events of May 31, 2010, when nine Turkish nationals were killed and dozens of participants were maimed after Israeli commandos took over the ship, which was part of a flotilla to Gazoo, the daily added.
Meanwhile,
...back at the sea battle, the Terror of the Baltic's career had come to an abrupt and watery end...
UN Secretary-General
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon... of whom it can be said to his credit that he is not Kofi Annan...
has been trying to reach a compromise between Turkey and Israel.
Haaretz said, the committee determined that Israel used excessive force and said deaths could have been prevented in several cases - although participants armed with clubs and iron rods attacked the commanders as they descended from a helicopter to the ship.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has recently come out publicly against an apology, which he said would humiliate Israel and serve as a blow to national pride.