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Last update - 21:40 07/07/2009
UN investigator: Can't yet say if Israel committed war crimes in Gaza
By News Agencies
Tags: Israel News 

The United Nations team charged with examining whether Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the Gaza Strip during their war earlier this year has nearly concluded its probe, but says it is too early to determine a final verdict.

Richard Goldstone, a former chief UN war crimes prosecutor heading the four-person inquiry team, said he expected to submit the team's report to the UN Human Rights Council next month.

He made the comments as investigators wound up four days of public hearings from both Israelis and Palestinians.
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Goldstone said his team regrets Israeli authorities blocked it from visiting Israel and the West Bank, but that testimony from victims from those areas was heard in Geneva, Switzerland.

Israel refused to cooperate with the mission because it regarded it as having biased instructions from the UN Human Rights Council, which has a track record of repeatedly singling out Israel for criticism and turning a blind eye to any Palestinian wrongdoing.

Goldstone said he regards the mandate of the fact-finding mission as requiring an independent investigation into all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law during the IDF's 22-day offensive.

"The testimonies we have heard from victims and witnesses... have been very difficult to hear, but I believe it is important that we listen to these stories," said Goldstone.

He said it would be premature, however, to talk about any conclusions the team may have made or whether it has enough evidence to present a case of war crimes.

"The hearings gave a voice to the victims and keep them from being lost among the statistics," he said.

"Last week we were in Gaza and heard two days of hearings and listened to the stories of intense pain, loss and suffering from the people of Gaza," Goldstone said.

"Yesterday and today in Geneva we have heard from victims and witnesses from Israel and from the West Bank, and they too have shared with us moving stories."

He said it was much better to see and hear people where they were affected and the team would have much preferred to hold the Geneva hearings in southern Israel, where Israelis have been subjected to rocket attack from Gaza, and in the West Bank.

"Obviously on this mission visiting Gaza was very important, not only to speak to people and hear what they suffered, what they endured, but also to see the physical damage, which I think shocked all of us, the extent of it," Goldstone said.

"No party to the conflict was fully cooperative," he said.

"That's the nature of this beast," Goldstone said. "One's dealing with strategic issues, one's dealing in some respects with intelligence matters, and one's got to do the best one can."

Goldstone says the team still plans to pose questions to the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas rulers in Gaza, but then will wrap up the investigation and move on to writing its report, which is to be given to the United Nations by August.

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      1.   "Can`t yet say" 22:57  |  Translating Arabic 07/07/09
      2.   UN investigator: Can`t yet say if Israel committed war crimes in 23:01  |  Can. Israeli Friend 07/07/09
      3.   By the same token ... 23:20  |  Jasper 07/07/09
      4.   Just ask Durson 23:25  |  leoblue 07/07/09
      5.   ;Hearing from victims and witnesses, not enough 00:12  |  Brad 08/07/09
      6.   that`s funny, every other UN group has already declared 02:36  |  Jon 08/07/09
      7.   So It`ll Take `Em A Month, Huh? 03:30  |  Heather Czerniak 08/07/09
      8.   A draw on "moving stories" for Goldmann`s soap opera. 04:06  |  Fortuna Benmayor 08/07/09
      9.   US wouldn`t report it anyway. We must use internet to get facts 04:48  |  Alaska 08/07/09
      10.   From what I saw on TV, I`d say "yes, they did" 04:51  |  GI Joe 08/07/09
      11.   Yes you can 05:08  |  Marc Leb 08/07/09
      12.   Israel is NOT required to help in this mockery of justice 05:38  |  Zvi 08/07/09
      13.   Drop the pretence, Goldstone 08:22  |  The Prophet 08/07/09
      14.   mens rea 09:17  |  daniel 08/07/09
      15.   #4. heather. BET YOU that Gazans will be found GUILTY. 20:01  |  Janette 08/07/09
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