Former President Jimmy Carter has condemned a deadly Israeli raid on a flotilla of aid ships on its way to Gaza.
In a statement Wednesday, Carter calls on the International Quartet, led by the U.S., to help end the closure of Gaza, and allow unification of Palestinians.
Carter says the raid is a reminder that "the failed policy of besieging Gaza mainly hurts civilians."
The Carter Center, a nonprofit started by him and his wife, says in the statement that it joins the U.N. Security Council in calling for a prompt, independent investigation into Monday's raid. Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.
Carter brokered a 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt during his presidency. He has long said bringing peace to the Mideast remains one of his unfulfilled goals.
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