UN rights group to vote on Gaza report

WEST BANK: The UN Human Rights Council will decide on Friday whether to discuss a report on Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza that accused both sides of war crimes, a Palestinian official said Tuesday.

"The Goldstone report will be put to a vote on Friday, and from now until then we will be making wide and continuing calls to prepare for the vote," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Mohammed Dahlan, another senior PLO figure, said his group had convinced 18 members of the 49-member council to vote in favour of discussing the report.

The damning report by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, a former international war crimes prosecutor, accused Israel and Palestinian groups of war crimes during the three-week conflict over the new year.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas drew a wave of criticism when the Palestinian delegation earlier dropped its backing of the report, paving the way for a council vote to postpone its consideration until March. AFP