United Nations, February 28: The UN General Assembly has scheduled a meeting on Friday to decide whether to repeat its demand that Israel and the Palestinians conduct proper probes into allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
A United Nations fact-finding mission after a conflict that began in late December 2008 accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.
Some 1,400 Palestinians (mainly civilians) and 13 Israelis (mainly soldiers) were killed during a 22-day Israeli military offensive into Gaza.
The South African judge who headed the UN mission, Richard Goldstone, recommended that both sides face possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court in The Hague if they failed to conduct credible, independent investigations within six months.
The General Assembly issued an ultimatum that those probes must be conducted by February 5 this year, but UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on the eve of that deadline that their efforts had proved inconclusive.
A copy of the draft resolution to be tabled on Friday calls again on both the Israelis and the Palestinians “to conduct investigations that are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards.”
It also asks Ban to report back to the assembly “within a period of five months on the implementation of the present resolution, with a view to the consideration of further action, if necessary, by the relevant UN organs and bodies, including the Security Council.”
A spokesman for General Assembly president Ali Triki confirmed that he would convene the plenary meeting of the 192-member body on Friday.
Diplomats said the text of the draft resolution enjoys broad support among members, including several European delegations which view it as relatively mild.
“I expect that it will be adopted with an overwhelming majority, bigger than during the vote last November,” Yahya Mahmassani, the Arab League’s permanent observer to the UN, said.
That vote saw the assembly overwhelmingly adopt a similar resolution to Friday with 114 voting in favor, 18 against, and 44 abstaining.
The latest draft resolution takes note of Ban’s February 4 report which contained responses provided by Israel and the Palestinians.
A 46-page report from Israel denied violations of international law, but admitted “tragic results” due to the “complexity and scale” of conducting a military operation in a heavily populated area.
It also noted that two Israeli senior officers — a brigadier general and a colonel — had been disciplined for the firing of white phosphorous shells toward a UN compound.
A preliminary report from the Palestinian side said a commission of five well-known judges and legal experts had been set up to look into allegations of war crimes on its side during the conflict.
Israel, which had strenuously opposed the non-binding resolution and the Goldstone report which it endorsed, voted against the November resolution as did the United States, along with Australia and a few European countries.
Countries including Britain, France, Sweden and Spain, abstained after failing to secure amendments to the text, including one that would have dropped references to possible Security Council action if the report’s findings were not implemented. Russia also abstained.
A key finding of the Goldstone report was that Israel used disproportionate force in response to home-made rocket attacks by Gaza-based resistance and failed to take adequate measures to protect civilians during its Gaza onslaught.
—Agencies