Hamas slams UN Gaza report delay

West bank: The prime minister of the Hamas-run government in Gaza on Sunday slammed as “reckless and irresponsible” the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to postpone consideration of a damning report into the Gaza war.

Ismail Haniya blamed the Western-backed Palestinian Authority for the decision to delay a vote on the report by the former international war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone. The report accused both Israel and Palestinian militants of committing war crimes during the three-week conflict at the turn of the year.

“The decision taken by Ramallah to withdraw the Goldstone report was reckless and irresponsible,” Haniya said, referring to the West Bank government of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

He added that the decision “trades in the blood of the children of Gaza.”

Hamas has led a chorus of criticism of the decision taken on Friday in the UN Human Rights Council and endorsed by several Arab and Muslim states who had previously expressed support for the report.

On Saturday, 16 Palestinian human rights groups slammed the delay, saying in a joint statement that it “denies the Palestinian people’s right to an effective judicial remedy and the equal protection of the law.”

Gaza City, Monday, AFP