Rights group faults Israel's Gaza war crimes probe
Israel failing to prove it is conducting impartial inquiry into UN claims, Human Rights Watch says.
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press Tags: Israel news Gaza warIsrael is failing to prove it is conducting an impartial investigation into Gaza war crimes allegations, an international human rights group said on Sunday.
In a response to a UN inquiry into its three-week invasion of the Gaza strip last year, Israel said on January 29 that it was fully investigating claims of war crimes.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon declared himself satisfied with Israel's submission but Human Rights Watch on Sunday said that the Israeli investigation seemed biased.
Retired South African Judge Richard Goldstone, who oversaw the UN inquiry, found that both Israel and Hamas violated the rules of war in Gaza fighting last winter.
Both denied the charges, but were told by the UN General Assembly to conduct credible investigations or face possible Security Council action.
In a separate report, HRW also dismissed a claim by Hamas its rocket attacks against Israel are not war crimes.
"Hamas can spin the story and deny the evidence, but hundreds of rockets rained down on civilian areas in Israel where no military installations were located," said HRW deputy Middle East director Joe Stork.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Mark of Lewiston - to imply that there is an equivalency between sides just keeps you blinded to the issue, and also it shows that you do not understand the challenges of asymmetric warfare. No longer do the blue coats and the red coats form up in neat lines to fight. And yet the right to defend oneself remains, there is no way to deny anyone that right. Then again, if you don't agree, then I am sure that you would be just fine with years and thousands of rockets raining down on your kids in Lewiston, correct?
The so-called 'human rights grouo' forgets to mention the ongoing Israeli casualties, all these years, from rockets, kidnappings, etc...my question is: WHAT KIND OF GLASSES ARE THEY USING WHEN THEY WATCH?? They call themselves 'fair-minded.' but to whom? The Palestinians always lie about casualties, fake them as well, the Hamas is a murdering terrorist group, as is Hezbollah -- WHERE ARE YOU, HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP, even in Lebanon, where civillians are used as human shields? Hmmmm? WHERE ARE YOU? Biased-minded, that's WHO you are! Fed up with a once-follower 1
Neither the IDF nor Hamas thinks their own dung stinks. Both think they are pure as driven snow and Galahad personified. Neither has done anything other than read their own after-action reports at best. Neither has done an open inquiry because each is holier than thou. And it was a religious war for both. No quarter on either side for civilians.
... and how about the non existent job Hamas is doing? Where is the Human Rights Group? As long as Hamas launches rockets at my brothers and my sisters in southern Israel there will be a breath of fire that sweeps through Gaza.
....in other words, Human Rights Watch must be regarded as a pretty fair and balanced and trustworthy organisation.