Phil Goff

By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington, June 8 NZPA - Labour leader Phil Goff says it would be unacceptable for Israel to reject an international inquiry into the raid of the Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week which left nine dead.

Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer has been proposed by the United Nations to head an international inquiry but Israel has rejected that saying it will do its own.

"There has to be an international inquiry, you cannot have an inquiry conducted by the country that stands accused of killing the nine people and injuring many other people and expect that to be objective and approach it in a balanced way," Mr Goff told NZPA, speaking from China.

"There needs to be an outside look at it, if Israel has nothing to hide from what it's done then it would not object to such an inquiry taking place."

Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed when Israeli marines stormed a Turkish ship a week ago as a flotilla moved to breach the blockade to supply aid to residents in Gaza. New Zealander Nicola Enchmarch was among the passengers and crew who were captured and detained in Israeli custody before being deported.

"You can't expect a country like Turkey to tolerate that inquiry being carried out by the country whose nationals were responsible for the killing of their nationals," Mr Goff said.

This morning Prime Minister John Key was doubtful the UN-led inquiry would go ahead without Israeli support but New Zealand would back it.

"We want to find out actually what went on and the UN is probably the right body to do that," he told Breakfast on TV One.

Mr Key said Sir Geoffrey had done a tremendous job representing New Zealand on the International Whaling Commission.

"He's a very, very intelligent man and has a great knowledge of the law and I think it is (also) a recognition that New Zealand is seen as an honest broker, we don't take sides between Palestine and Israel.

"I think it would be great for New Zealand if it took place."

Mr Goff said Sir Geoffrey was the ideal person to select.

"Sir Geoffrey is a person of unchallengeable integrity. He has enormous experience both as a prime minister and as a international level lawyer and law professor. I think he would be very capable of carrying that job out."