Washington, July 07: A fact-finding mission tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with probing rights violations committed during the recent Gaza conflict began its Geneva round of public hearings following a similar exercise held in the Gaza Strip last week.
“The purpose of today’s interviews was to hear from victims, witnesses and experts from southern Israel and the West Bank,” United Nations spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters at the world body’s headquarters in New York.
The mission had wanted to hold hearings in the West Bank and in southern Israel, where the population had been on the receiving end of rocket attacks launched from Gaza, but that had not been possible since the Israeli government has so far not cooperated with the mission.
Montas said testimonies were given both in person and by videoconference to the four-member team, led by Justice Richard Goldstone. Among those who came in person to address the panel were the Mayor of the Israeli town of Ashkelon and the father of missing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
During the June 28, 29 hearings in Gaza City, the team heard accounts from people who were injured in Israeli attacks and from victims who had lost members of their families and from people who had lost their livelihoods, the UN said.
Experts also gave testimonies on the psycho-social effects, particularly on health, children and education, of the fighting that took place between December 27 and January 18.
The panel is expected to compile its report in August.