Israel has denied entry to a UN inquiry team mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against the Palestinian people in Gaza earlier this year.
Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Emmanuel Nachshon, was quoted by the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, as saying the decision to stop the team from entering was made "in view of the [UN Human Rights] Council’s obsessive hostility toward Israel, the committee’s one-sided mandate and committee chairman William Schabas’ declared anti-Israeli positions."
"[The committee is] a pretense that some inquiry is being held before the conclusions are published,” he added.
“While Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israel, the UN’s Human Rights Council made a decision stating Israel’s guilt in advance and set up a probe as a rubber stamp for its known positions."
In August, the UN appointed experts to the inquiry team. The three member panel included: a human rights lawyer from Senegal who has previously worked on concerns in Ivory Coast, Doudou Diene and a Canadian international law professor at the University of Middlesex, William Schabas, as well as a British Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who later declined the appointment however.
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Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Emmanuel Nachshon, was quoted by the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, as saying the decision to stop the team from entering was made "in view of the [UN Human Rights] Council’s obsessive hostility toward Israel, the committee’s one-sided mandate and committee chairman William Schabas’ declared anti-Israeli positions."
"[The committee is] a pretense that some inquiry is being held before the conclusions are published,” he added.
“While Hamas launched thousands of rockets at Israel, the UN’s Human Rights Council made a decision stating Israel’s guilt in advance and set up a probe as a rubber stamp for its known positions."
In August, the UN appointed experts to the inquiry team. The three member panel included: a human rights lawyer from Senegal who has previously worked on concerns in Ivory Coast, Doudou Diene and a Canadian international law professor at the University of Middlesex, William Schabas, as well as a British Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who later declined the appointment however.
Related articles:
UN Secretary-General appoints board to investigate Gaza attacks (11 Nov 2014)
UN to investigate attacks on Gaza facilities (23 Oct 2014)
US condemns UN school shelling as 'disgraceful', fighting rages on in Gaza (03 Aug 2014)
UN & US condemn shelling of UN school in Gaza (30 Jul 2014)
UN run school in Gaza hit by shelling (24 Jul 2014)