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Gaza probe Chief underlines :
Balanced approach despite obstacles
SWITZERLAND: The head of a UN human rights mission investigating the
war in the Gaza Strip six months ago underlined on Tuesday that he was
striving for a balanced outcome despite the obstacles.
Israel has refused to cooperate with the UN fact-finding mission or
allow it onto its territory, arguing that its mandate is biased even
though mission chief Richard Goldstone and UN rights officials had it
broadened to consider all sides.
But Goldstone suggested that he would not be swayed, and indicated
that there had been shortcomings in cooperation from ruling Palestinian
militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority as
well.
“There’s a disadvantage in not having had cooperation from the
government of Israel but we haven’t had the fullest cooperation from any
party and that’s the nature of this beast,” the former war crimes
prosecutor and South African judge said.
“It may be that we can’t come to some conclusions, there may be
questions with no answers, but we’ll certainly raise them and it’ll be
for political bodies to take it further if they wish,” he said on the
final day of public hearings by the panel of four experts. Goldstone
also announced that he was taking into account events stretching back to
a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in June 2008.
The mission is aiming to present its report in September after
gathering testimony and expert accounts over the past two months, and
visiting the Gaza Strip. Shortly after Goldstone’s comments, UN Watch, a
lobby group with strong ties to Israel, challenged the impartiality of
one of the four members of the panel set up by the UN Human Rights
Council on January 12.
UN Watch said it was formally seeking the withdrawal or
disqualification of British law professor Christine Chinkin on the
grounds that she had already publicly taken a stance accusing Israel of
war crimes and violating human rights law during the Gaza offensive.
Its submission notably cited a letter published in The Sunday Times
on January 11 that she jointly signed with other academics and lawyers.
The UN human rights office was unable to confirm immediately that the
challenge had been filed or comment on its claims.
GENEVA, Wednesday, AFP
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