UN rights chief: Israel, Palestinians not investigating war crimes

Mar 17, 2010, 20:03 GMT

Geneva - The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report released Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinians were not properly investigating allegations of war crimes during last year's war in the Gaza Strip.

The fact-finding mission of Judge Richard Goldstone recommended last year that the local authorities launch independent investigations into his findings that both sides may have committed serious violations of international law during the 2008-2009 conflict.

'They do not appear to meet the standards required for practical independence,' Navi Pillay's report to the UN Human Rights Council said, in reference to Israeli investigations.

'One case has resulted in the conviction of a soldier, in relation to the theft of a credit card,' she wrote, noting that some other incidents were still under investigation.

Regarding the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and the Hamas movement which rules Gaza, Pillay said 'there is no indication of credible investigations having taken place.'

Both Israel and Hamas rejected Goldstone's report.

Meanwhile, since the conflict ended, 'the blockade of Gaza has become more severe,' her report also noted. 'The population of Gaza has not received adequate assistance or support to recover from the impact of this operation.'

In the West Bank, Pillay said that while movement was still restricted there was a significant improvement in the opening of a major artery by the Israeli military for Palestinian use.

Palestinians had been blocked from using the major Route 443 since 2002, with Israel saying this was owing to security concerns.

Overall, the report slammed Israel's rule over Palestinian territories.

'The occupation continued to be the main cause of widespread violations of Palestinians' civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,' Pillay said.

The United States is currently leading efforts to restart indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians for a permanent solution to the decades old conflict.