Gaza crimes

The over 500 page report, prepared by a four-member panel headed by the noted South African jurist Richard Goldstone, says there is evidence that both sides in the December 27 - January 18 hostilities were responsible for war crimes, but is particularly critical of what it calls Israel's "disproportionate use of force".

"The mission concluded that actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly in some respects crimes against humanity, were committed by the Israel Defense Force," said U.N. investigator Richard Goldstone to reporters.

He called on the UN to insist that both Israel and the Palestinians launch investigations to get to the bottom of the charges.

Israel immediately responded to the statement and said that the report was one-sided and did not take into account the thousands of Hamas militant missile attacks on its civilian population. It had refused to cooperate with the investigation, saying that the UN Human Rights Council was biased against the Jewish state.

"Both the mandate of the Mission and the resolution establishing it prejudged the outcome of any investigation, gave legitimacy to the Hamas terrorist organization and disregarded the deliberate Hamas strategy of using Palestinian civilians as cover for launching terrorist attacks," said a statement on the Israeli Foreign Ministry web site.

The hostilities killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and, according to human rights groups, at least 900 of them were civilians. The Israelis lost 10 soldiers and three civilians.

The report is based on nearly 200 interviews and more than 20,000 documents.

Goldstone said that, while the Palestinians had not conducted any investigations into the clash at all, Israel's investigations were, in the words of the report, not credible. He urged both sides to conduct formal investigations, and said that if neither side did, the Security Council should refer the matter to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Goldstone brushed away accusations of being biased against Israel and pointed out his long-standing ties with Israel, including his own Jewish heritage.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, while blasting the report, said that it would be examined.

"Notwithstanding its reservations, Israel will read the Report carefully - as it does with all reports prepared by international and national organizations. Israel is committed to acting fully in accordance with international law and to examining any allegations of wrongdoing by its own forces," said the statement.

av/dpa/Reuters/AFP/AP
Editor: Susan Houlton