ANKARA (Agencies) Israels allies froze military ties and summoned its ambassadors Monday over the storming of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, as Muslim leaders slammed the deadly raid as criminal and inhuman. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was shocked by the Israeli navys assault on a convoy carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, lawmakers and journalists through international waters towards besieged Gaza. Ban called on Israel to urgently explain itself over the raid, which Israels Channel 10 TV left 19 passengers killed and 36 wounded, many of them Turks. Israels closest ally Washington described the loss of life as a tragedy, on the eve of talks between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The US deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, a White House spokesman said. As the Vatican voiced deep sadness and concern and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair expressed deep regret and shock at the loss of life, capitals across Europe summoned Israels ambassadors to explain the assault. Ankara responded with fury, recalling its Ambassador from Tel Aviv and warning the assault would have irreparable consequences to bilateral ties. Police held back angry crowds shouting Damn Israel outside Israels missions to the country, as Turkey accused Israel of a flagrant breach of international law, and disregard for human life and peaceful initiatives, warning that the attack may have irreversible consequences for relations between the two Middle East countries. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc also said plans for three joint military exercises with Israel had been scrapped. Greece, which had dozens of nationals in the convoy, pulled out of joint military exercises with Israel and cancelled a visit by its air force chief, as an aid group claimed that commandos in helicopters had fired on a Greek vessel. Muslim leaders united in condemning what Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called a massacre and Arab League Chief Amr Mussa said was a crime that has thrown into doubt US-backed indirect Middle East peace talks. This is another message, a very powerful message, that Israel does not want peace, is not ready to enter into peace. So everything we are doing is to no avail, he said on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum summit. Mussa said he had called a meeting of the Arab League council to be held on Tuesday (today) to discuss the attack. We are all very angry, he said. Tomorrow, there will be a collective position taken. The Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza urged world Muslims to rise up in protest, as Irans President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the raid as inhuman Zionist regime action. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Israels attack threatens to ignite a war in the region. Syria and Lebanon condemn the heinous crime committed by Israel through the brutal attacks on unarmed civilians on board the Freedom Flotilla, both leaders said in a joint statement, after a pre-planned meeting in Damascus. They have warned that Israels violations of basic humanitarian norms and international laws threatens to plunge the Middle East into a war which will not only affect the region. Hariri called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, which his country currently chairs. Egypt condemned the acts of killing by Israel forces while Kuwaits parliament speaker said the storming of the flotilla, which was carrying 16 Kuwaitis including an MP, was a heinous Israeli crime. Kuwait urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council to press Israel to ensure the safety of 16 Kuwaiti. The call was made by acting foreign minister Roudhan al-Roudhan as he summoned the ambassadors of Britain, China, France, Russia and the US to an urgent meeting, the official KUNA news agency reported. And Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim nation, said there was no basis for Israels assault. In Europe, condemnation was equally swift. The European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanded Israel mount a full inquiry, as member states ordered an emergency meeting of their ambassadors to the EU. Spain - the current European Union President - France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria and Greece summoned Israels respective ambassadors, with Madrid slamming the operation as unacceptable. Frances President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a disproportionate use of force. Germanys Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was deeply concerned about the deaths, while Italys Foreign Minister Franco Frattini deplored the loss of civilian life. British Foreign Secretary William Hague similarly deplored the loss of life, saying Israel must act with restraint - but also said London had warned of the risks of attempting to access Gaza in defiance of the blockade. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay condemned Israels use of military force against the flotilla of aid ships as disproportionate Russias Foreign Ministry denounced the crude violation of international law in the deadly Israeli raid on the aid flotilla to Gaza, calling for full clarification of the incident.