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30th January 2010, 10:28 AM
Palestinians hand Gaza War report to UN
The Palestinian Authority says it has submitted a report to the United Nations on Israel's last year offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer, said Friday that he handed the report to the chief of cabinet Vijay Nambiar at UN headquarters in New York.
Mansour, however, declined to provide details, saying it was a confidential report demanded by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
The United Nations General Assembly in November adopted a resolution giving Israel and the Palestinians three months to undertake "independent, credible investigations" into serious violations of international law and human rights committed during the conflict in Gaza.
The resolution was proposed after a report released by South African Judge Richard Goldstone concluded that Israel used disproportionate force and failed to protect civilians during its December 2008-January 2009 offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The report also accused Hamas of infringing international conventions.
Israel, who sidestepped the UN's key demand, submitted a response to the body on Friday and repeated its claims that the Goldstone report was "inaccurate."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak repeated Israeli criticism of the Goldstone report on Friday, and denounced the report as "false, distorted, and irresponsible."
UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq, however, said the 46-page document will be considered in a report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the General Assembly in early February, The Washington Post reported.
"The secretary-general is working on his own response," Haq said.
The Palestinian Authority says it has submitted a report to the United Nations on Israel's last year offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer, said Friday that he handed the report to the chief of cabinet Vijay Nambiar at UN headquarters in New York.
Mansour, however, declined to provide details, saying it was a confidential report demanded by UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
The United Nations General Assembly in November adopted a resolution giving Israel and the Palestinians three months to undertake "independent, credible investigations" into serious violations of international law and human rights committed during the conflict in Gaza.
The resolution was proposed after a report released by South African Judge Richard Goldstone concluded that Israel used disproportionate force and failed to protect civilians during its December 2008-January 2009 offensive against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The report also accused Hamas of infringing international conventions.
Israel, who sidestepped the UN's key demand, submitted a response to the body on Friday and repeated its claims that the Goldstone report was "inaccurate."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak repeated Israeli criticism of the Goldstone report on Friday, and denounced the report as "false, distorted, and irresponsible."
UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq, however, said the 46-page document will be considered in a report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the General Assembly in early February, The Washington Post reported.
"The secretary-general is working on his own response," Haq said.