UN: ’Israel’ may Have Committed War Crimes

Local Editor

"The two week offensive in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children in the crowded coastal enclave, could have seen war crimes committed by "Israel"," the UN's top human rights official has warned.

The remarks from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay in Geneva came a week after "Israel" escalated its aggression against the sieged strip.

Citing cases of "Israeli" air strikes and shelling of houses and hospitals, Pillay told a UN session considering a resolution to set up an international inquiry into "Israeli" actions that "there seems to be a strong possibility international humanitarian law has been violated in a manner that could amount to war crimes".

Referring to "Israeli" naval shelling that martyred four Palestinian boys on the Gaza beach on 16 July, Pillay added: "The disregard for international humanitarian law and for the right to life was sharply evident. Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated." Tonight, the UN council agreed to launch the inquiry.

Meanwhile, "Israel" dismissed Pillay's criticisms as reflecting an "anti-"Israel" animus on the part of the council."

"These are intolerably biased statements based on newspaper clippings, without a discernment of the facts,'' claimed the "Israeli" foreign ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson. "They may pander to the more obscurantist members of the human rights council but they do a huge disservice to human rights.''

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team