A Turkish aid group said on Wednesday it will send another aid flotilla to Gaza next month, again trying to break an Israeli blockade after its last convoy was the target of a deadly Israeli raid in May.

The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid (IHH) told members of the European Parliament it had assembled six ships for the next flotilla and put out an appeal for others to join.

The 31 May attack in which Israel raided a six-ship convoy in international waters that was carrying humanitarian goods and activists and heading for Gaza killed nine Turkish civilians, wounding at least 30 others.

The next flotilla is due to sail in the second half of July, IHH said. The group invited the international media to inspect all goods on board before the convoy sails to "demonstrate their commitment to total transparency".

Richard Howitt, a British member of the European Parliament who organised IHH's press conference at the parliament in Strasbourg, said the European Union had an obligation to ensure respect for humanitarian law and access for the next flotilla.

"If this terrible tragedy tips the balance so that the international community finally insists on full and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, then some good can still come out of it," he said, referring to the deaths in the last convoy.

The relief group says a group of concerned people individually formed IHH in response to attempt to "ethnic cleansing" of Serbs in Bosnia, largest genocide committed after the World War II.

Since then, IHH volunteers keeps aid missions throughout the world.

Israel has said it is considering softening its blockade in the wake of international condemnation of the flotilla assault. The EU said on Monday it hoped the easing would begin "in the next days".

But, Israel refuses international probe and announced local probe over its own attack.

This week, Turkey's Foreign Minister dismissed internal Israeli probe over deadly Gaza ship attack, saying "The fact that a defendant is both prosecutor and judge, constitutes contradiction to law."

Davutoglu said an international participation in commission that will be established by Israel would not be an international one.

Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador, cancelled joint military exercises, and called for Israel to end its blockade of 1.5 million Palestinians.

There has been widespread public outrage in Turkey over Israel's murders of citizens.

Iran said on Monday it was also sending aid ships to Gaza. One left on Sunday and another will leave on Friday carrying food, construction material and toys, Iranian state radio reported.


Agencies