Release of a United Nations report on Israel's deadly raid that killed nine Turkish activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year will be postponed until late August. The U.N. confirmed the delay Monday, giving Israel and Turkey more time to work out their differences.

The report by a U.N. panel of experts was expected to be delivered to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week.

But U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said panel members agreed to delay finalizing their inquiry after consulting with Mr. Ban and the Turkish and Israeli governments.

Israeli media reports quoted a senior Israeli official as saying his government had requested a three-week delay – until August 20 – in order to allow the two parties to continue negotiating toward a detente in their relations. This is the third time in two months the report's release has been put off.

Turkey says relations can only be restored if Israel apologizes for the raid. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that ties cannot be improved unless Israel also compensates the families of those killed and injured and lifts its Gaza embargo.

Israel has refused to apologize, fearing to expose its troops to a flood of litigation.

The U.N. panel is co-chaired by former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer and former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. It includes one Israeli and one Turkish representative.

Israeli commandos met unexpected resistance on May 31 last year when they tried to prevent a Turkish aid ship from breaking the Gaza sea blockade. The commandos opened fire, killing the nine activists.

The raid drew an international outcry and forced Israel to ease its blockade of Hamas-ruled Gaza. Israel, along with Egypt,

imposed the embargo in June 2007 after the Islamist militant group took control of the territory.