Islamists on Mavi Marmara (file)
Islamists on Mavi Marmara (file)Flash 90

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday evening called to reopen a case accusing Israel of "war crimes" in its handling of the infamous May 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to Gaza.

In an unusual move, the judges decided to investigate the previously closed case in which ten protesters - who attacked IDF soldiers with lethal weapons - were killed and Israeli troops were wounded, reports Channel 2.

The ICC called to "recheck" the decision not to investigate the IDF's naval commando Shayetet 13 storming of the Mavi Marmara, conducted after the flotilla ignored repeated demands to stand down and have Israel deliver its supposed humanitarian goods to Gaza, in defense of Israel's legal maritime blockade of Gaza.

Last year the ICC rejected a request for an official investigation by the Comoros, an island nation in Africa under whose flag several of the ships sailed.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said then that "there is a basis to believe that war crimes were committed" on the Marmara, but said the file was "not of sufficient gravity" to appear before The Hague.

Today, the ICC said that Bensouda made "essential mistakes in determining the seriousness of the case," claiming that it had evidence that she was wrong in her assessment.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) responded to the ICC decision, noting that the ICC "already decided that war crimes weren't committed on the Marmara."

"It is very strange to me why the court decided to open an investigation against soldiers who defended themselves against a brutal attack of terrorists that were on the Marmara," she said.

"There are Palestinian sources who are constantly trying to incite international bodies against Israel, and I hope that those bodies will know to identify the incitement and not give it a hand."

She concluded, saying, "the court at The Hague in this decision is turning into a tool of Palestinian propaganda."

When IDF soldiers boarded the Marmara, they were attacked by Islamists wielding knives and metal bars and forced to open fire to defend themselves, killing ten Turkish assailants in the process.

Israeli authorities found the vessel wasn't carrying any humanitarian aidindicating how the true goal of the provocative move was to open Gaza to free naval access, which it has consistently used to smuggle in weapons to be targeted against Israel.