Sixteen international investigators and judges have written a open letter to the UNSG BAN Ki-Moon, and to the UN Security Council, calling for a full international investigation into alleged abuses of international law during the recent Gaza conflict — not just one limited to attacks on UN installations.
The call is supported by Amnesty International, and comes at a time when a UN Board of Inquiry is expected to report to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on its initial findings regarding attacks on UN facilities and personnel in the region.
The letter calls for the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry into the Gaza conflict that: (1) Has a mandate to carry out a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation of all allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict; (2) Acts in accordance with the strictest international standards governing such investigations; and (3) Can provide recommendations as to the appropriate prosecution of those responsible for gross violations of the law by the relevant authorities.
The letter stresses the need for an investigation into “all serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict”.
It — and the just-revealed report of what Israeli soldiers said about their “permissive rules of engagement ” in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead — put into context this outrageous statement, below, from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite our criticism and complaints, it is still posted on the MFA’s website: “To Israel’s great sorrow, innocent civilians in Gaza have been harmed. However, the figures of civilian casualties have been greatly exaggerated. Most of these figures come from Hamas sources, amplifying the number of civilians killed by including as ‘children’ teenage Hamas fighters and as ‘women’, female terrorists. According to an Israeli investigation, of the 1,100-1,200 reported casualties, 250 were civilians. The rest are believed to be terrorists or have yet to be identified, but given that most of them are young men in their 20s, it is not unreasonable to assume that they are also members of Hamas or other terrorist organizations“. This disgraceful piece of propaganda can be read in full here.
Continue reading A group of leading investigators and judges call for full international investigation into Gaza war