Goldstone: UN team shocked by destruction in Gaza

Jun 4, 2009, 18:16 GMT

Gaza - South African prosecutor Richard Goldstone, head of UN inquiry team to investigate the outcome of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, said Thursday he had been shocked by the extent of the destruction in the Palestinian areas.

At a press conference, Goldstone also voiced his regret that the Israelis had refused to cooperate with the UN experts team, saying this 'would influence the credibility of the report.'

Goldstone did not discuss the results of the team's three-day visit to the Gaza, but did express his feelings about the destruction he had seen during their inspection of the narrow enclave.

'I listened to testimonies and I received very important documents and video tapes that will be helping us to prepare our final report,' said Goldstone, who suggested meeting with the witnesses in both Gaza and Geneva.

He added that his committee 'will finish listening to the witnesses by the end of June and then will prepare its final report on the situation on August, where it will be published in September.'

The board will also look into the actions of the armed Palestinian groups during the operation, especially the rockets they fired at the Israeli communities near Gaza.

More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and some 5,000 wounded in the offensive which started on December 27, 2008 and ended January 18, 2009.

On the Israeli side, three Israeli civilians were killed in Palestinian rocket attacks and tens of soldiers were killed in the fighting inside Gaza.

'We had already visited 14 locations in Gaza city and in northern Gaza Strip, and we listened to 70 eyewitnesses, who are the families of the victims. We also visited schools, and the Red Crescent Hospital,' said Goldstone.

Israel declined cooperation with the UN experts team in the conviction that the team's task was to declare Israel the guilty party.