JERUSALEM — Israel will never say sorry for defending itself, a senior government official said on Monday after Turkey demanded an apology for a deadly commando raid on an aid convoy to Gaza.

“Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens,” the official said.

“Of course, we regret the loss of life but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence.”

His remarks were made after Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vowed Ankara would sever diplomatic ties with Israel unless it apologized over the operation which left nine people dead, all of them Turkish nationals.

But Israeli officials reacted angrily to Turkey’s threats.

“When you want an apology, you don’t use threats or ultimatums,” foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.

“Everything leads us to believe that Turkey has another agenda in mind,” he said, without giving further details.

Davutoglu was quoted as telling Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper that “relations will be broken” unless Israel apologizes for the May 31 attack or admits the raid was unjust.

The minister also said Turkey had closed its airspace to all Israeli military flights in reaction to the raid.