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Last update - 00:00 15/09/2008
Archbishop Tutu to UN: Israel may have committed war crime
By The Associated Press
Tags: United Nations, Desmond Tutu 

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Monday that Israel may have committed a war crime by shelling the Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanun in 2006, but that Palestinians also were at fault for firing rockets at Israeli civilians.

"Israeli and Palestinian authorities should prosecute people on both sides who attacked civilians in the town in Gaza and in neighboring Israel," Tutu said in a report to the 47-nation United Nations Human Rights Council.
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"In the absence of a well-founded explanation from the Israeli military - the mission must conclude that there is a possibility that the shelling of Beit Hanun constituted a war crime," Tutu said in the report.

Israel's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Aharon Leshno-Yaar, refused to discuss the war crimes allegation because Israel rejects the validity of Tutu's report.

"Tutu's mission to Beit Hanun was another regrettable product of the Human Rights Council," Leshno-Yaar said.

Israel maintains that the body, which is dominated by Muslim and African nations, has focused excessively on criticizing Israel.

"It is regrettable that this mission took place at all," Leshno-Yaar told The Associated Press.

The report was Tutu's final assessment of an investigation requested by the council into the November 2006 Israeli-Palestinian fighting.

Israel declined three times to grant visas to the Nobel peace laureate and his UN-appointed fact-finding team to investigate the killings of 19civilians in an Israeli artillery barrage, the report said. The team finally traveled to Beit Hanun via Egypt in May - 18 months behind schedule.

"Israel's firing of artillery toward Beit Hanun showed a disproportionate and reckless disregard for Palestinian civilian life," Tutu said.

He also said the firing of Palestinian Qassam rockets in neighboring Israel must stop and should be investigated.

Leshno-Yaar said he was furious that Tutu's report de facto legitimizes Hamas control of Gaza.

"This does not serve the interests of Israel or the Palestinians or the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians," he said.

He was referring to the Islamic militant group whose violent takeover of Gaza 15 months ago created a split among Palestinians, with Hamas ruling Gaza and their moderate Fatah rivals controlling the West Bank.

In addition to meeting with representatives of the Palestinian authority, Tutu met with senior members of Hamas.

The rights council asked Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, to assess the living conditions and basic rights of victims, address the needs of survivors and make recommendations on ways to protect Palestinian civilians against further Israeli attacks.

The Beit Hanun shelling, which Israel said was unintended, came after its troops wound up a weeklong incursion meant to curb Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel from the town.

Palestinian militants frequently use Beit Hanun as a staging ground for their rocket attacks on Israel.

"Those firing rockets on Israeli civilians are no less accountable than the Israeli military for their actions," Tutu said.

He said an independent investigation should be undertaken into the violence on both sides and that Israel should pay reparations for the victims.

"It is not too late for an independent, impartial and transparent investigation of the shelling to be held," he said.

But Leshno-Yaar said Israel's own investigation into the incident that found that hitting civilians was accidental was sufficient. He noted that the results had been shared with the United Nations.

"There is no need for such a mission by the Human Rights Council and by Archbishop Tutu," he said.

Tutu also called on Israel to stop preventing Palestinians from accessing medical services by restricting the movement of medical goods and people in and out of Gaza.

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      1.   I Don`t Expect Much From Tutu or the UN 17:41  |  Ron 15/09/08
      2.   Hamas war crime 17:54  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      3.   That is exactly the approach that is needed..... 18:45  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/08
      4.   If both sides are "accountable" why should only Israel pay $? 19:18  |  McQueen 15/09/08
      5.   Archbishop Desmond Tutu. 19:19  |  David Nigel Braham 15/09/08
      6.   i agree with Tutu. What happened in Gaza in 2006 was a war crime 19:58  |  lakshmi 15/09/08
      7.   If tutu´s was not so one-sided. his statements would be reviewed 20:03  |  JP 15/09/08
      8.   #5 Braham 20:17  |  Boycott 15/09/08
      9.   Three Jews have been murdered in SAin last few months-Tutu silent 20:33  |  Alan SA 15/09/08
      10.   Hey TUTU 20:41  |  R 15/09/08
      11.   double standards 20:41  |  Jess Thompson 15/09/08
      12.   double standards 20:41  |  Jess Thompson 15/09/08
      13.   #9 Alan 20:48  |  Mark B. 15/09/08
      14.   Callous and predictable Israeli raction. 20:50  |  Nick Ferriman 15/09/08
      15.   IF IT`S A WAR CRIME...... 20:51  |  Ian 15/09/08
      16.   Tutu and crime 20:58  |  ChanahS 15/09/08
      17.   Tutu again - forgot to add 20:59  |  ChanahS 15/09/08
      18.   Tutu is not an impartial observer 21:16  |  Gary 15/09/08
      19.   # 17 Chanah S 21:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/09/08
      20.   14 Nick Ferriman, please check my post 6 21:32  |  lakshmi 15/09/08
      21.   Tutu and muddled thinking 21:49  |  THK 15/09/08
      22.   #9 22:05  |  Mark 15/09/08
      23.   Why do we bother with this senile old idiot? 22:13  |  MIKE 15/09/08
      24.   Tutu is Koo Koo for Pan-Arabian Islam 22:21  |  Tex 15/09/08
      25.   Nick Ferriman: He Sees All 22:22  |  Tex 15/09/08
      26.   Tutu , Carter they all Hasbeens 22:25  |  zoe 15/09/08
      27.   Tutu poo poo`s Israel 22:35  |  ON NO! 15/09/08
      28.   Swiss (Dipshit) 22:46  |  Tex 15/09/08
      29.   Israel`s leaders let their hands be twisted and allowed 23:01  |  take cover 15/09/08
      30.   DINO: FOR GOD`S SAKE, MAN!! 23:09  |  Brant 15/09/08
      31.   It is a shame what Tutu says about Israel 23:12  |  Proud Israeli 15/09/08
      32.   What a clown Tutu is 23:53  |  IW 15/09/08
      33.   they overshot: problem with artillery, pacifism not legality 00:03  |  Paul Freedman 16/09/08
      34.   poo poo 00:09  |  david 16/09/08
      35.   #9 Yes, and so what? Alan SA 00:24  |  ballistic 16/09/08
      36.   Reply to Alan in South Africa (Post No. 8) 00:46  |  Johnny Weintraub 16/09/08
      37.   Tutu 02:30  |  Brod 16/09/08
      38.   THE New South Africa protects Al Bashir & the Sudanese genocide 03:04  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      39.   chanahs 16 03:38  |  potobac 16/09/08
      40.   FERRIMAN WhileArabs target Israelis from Pal civillian areas 04:08  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      41.   Those firing rockets on Israeli civilians are no less accountable 04:35  |  58 16/09/08
      42.   Hey Ballistic We Need A New Kitchen Boy 05:57  |  Kaapie 16/09/08
      43.   Brant re 30 06:15  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      44.   #4 McQueen 07:09  |  Thomas 16/09/08
      45.   HIS LEGACY IN SOUTH AFRICA IS WELL-KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD 07:25  |  indrajaya 16/09/08
      46.   ballistic gets an A 07:49  |  Connie 16/09/08
      47.   Whole investigation may constitute a `sham` 08:49  |  Ilan 16/09/08
      48.   potobac 39 09:12  |  ChanahS 16/09/08
      49.   INDRAJAYA HIS Legacy? He never criticised Indonesia over cutting 10:11  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      50.   INDRAJAYA HIS Legacy? He never criticised Indonesia over cutting 10:11  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      51.   chanahs 11:53  |  potobac 16/09/08
      52.   potobac 51 14:45  |  ChanahS 16/09/08
      53.   aren`t we forgetting something? 15:58  |  curious george 16/09/08
      54.   Hurray Tutu 16:19  |  FalluJah 16/09/08
      55.   Tutu is way beyond his level of competence and his arrogance know 16:51  |  David H 16/09/08
      56.   #15 - Hamas declared war on Israel? HAHAHAHAHA! 17:32  |  Rob 16/09/08
      57.   FAlluJah, you got it wrong 18:05  |  DavidAK 16/09/08
      58.   $42 Say Kappie 18:10  |  ballistic 16/09/08
      59.   #56 BOY,HAVE YOU BEEN FOOLED,ROB 18:41  |  Ian 16/09/08
      60.   ROB Hamas is the Moslem Brotherhood,Pal branch 21:28  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      61.   BOYCOTT Many European states?? Really? 21:39  |  PETER SM 16/09/08
      62.   Boycott # 8 - "many European states" 23:42  |  ChanahS 16/09/08
      63.   Boycott # 8 - "many European states" 23:42  |  ChanahS 16/09/08
      64.   JP (#7) 02:28  |  jjvanka 17/09/08
      65.   Tututwo exist 03:52  |  Cynic 17/09/08
      66.   Tutu lacks moral authority 14:46  |  Fred Bainhauer 17/09/08
      67.   The number two lady from the US 15:47  |  Gentleman in the UK 17/09/08
      68.   the truth hurts .. doesnt it? 18:32  |  ravi 17/09/08
      69.   RAVI#68 NO ASPRIN NEEDED HERE 19:10  |  Ian 17/09/08
      70.   Desmond tutu take care of your own back yard! 04:48  |  Peace For Jerusalem! 14/01/09
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