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.
The signatories state that “Relief and reconstruction are desperately needed but, for the real wounds to heal, we must also establish the truth about crimes perpetuated against civilians on both sides.”
They say they “have seen at first hand the importance of investigating the truth and delivering justice for the victims of conflict and believe it is a precondition to move forward and achieve peace in the Middle East”.
The signatories – who have led investigations of crimes committed in former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Darfur, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, East Timor, Lebanon and Peru – say that they have been “shocked to the core” by events in Gaza.
The letter’s signatories include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Justice Richard Goldstone (Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda and Chairman of the UN Inquiry on Kosovo), and Antonio Cassese (First President and Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Head of the UN Inquiry on Darfur).
One of the signatories, Professor William Schabas, former member of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said: “The international community must apply the same standard to Gaza as it does to other conflicts and investigate all abuses of the laws of war and human rights. The current UN inquiry is no substitute for a full investigation. It is not only the UN personnel that deserve truth and justice, but Palestinians and Israelis themselves.”