King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday called for launching an international and transparent investigation in Israel's attack against the Gaza-bound flotilla, according to a statement by the Royal Palace on Tuesday.

The Jordanian leader, who stressed his country's condemnation and rejection of the Israeli raid against the flotilla, said it is a rejected crime that is in violation of the international law, according to the statement run by the state-run Petra news agency.

The raid by the Israeli commandoes on the aid-carrying ships bound for Gaza at Monday dawn lead to the death of 19 people on board of the ships, according to Israel's Channel 10 television

Abdullah II stressed the need that the international community takes immediate and effective steps to lift the "illegal and inhumane" siege Israeli imposes on Gaza Strip, adding that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories is the main reason for tension in the Middle East.

After Hamas took over Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel imposed a siege on the coastal enclave and limited supplies of food, fuel and construction materials and other supplies into the coastal enclave.

Meanwhile, Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nabil Sharif said Tuesday that the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv was taking steps to transfer the participants on board of the ships to the Arab kingdom to travel later to their countries.

Sharif said the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, Algeria and Pakistan requested the Kingdom to transfer its national who were on board of the ships to the Kingdom, adding that coordination will continue with other countries whose nationals were among the participants in the flotilla.

The minister added that all Jordanians taking part in the flotilla were safe.

According to the country's professional associations, there are 23 Jordanians taking part in the flotilla.