American activists participating in the latest humanitarian mission to Gaza were outraged by Kirk's proposal, and called on the senator to reverse his position.

Activists from more than 30 countries plan to sail aboard several ships to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian assistance to the besieged people of Gaza in the near future.

FACTS & FIGURES

Senator Mark Kirk, the Republican lawmaker who captured President Obama's Illinois Senate seat in a 2010 special election is a staunch supporter of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. AllGov

On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos attacked the first Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged M.V. Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy. thepartsmanager.co.uk

In September, the U.N. Human Rights Council found Israeli forces "committed serious violations of international law" in the raid and suggested that six of the civilian deaths were "consistent with ... an arbitrary and summary execution." CNN