UN Human Rights Council will consider Goldstone Report despite US pressure

Wednesday October 14, 2009 14:13 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Despite pressure from the Obama administration to drop the Goldstone Commission Report on Israeli and Palestinian human rights violations during Israel's invasion of Gaza this January, the UN Human Rights Council has announced that it will reopen discussion on the Goldstone Commission Report on Thursday.

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The report, authored by renowned South African jurist Richard Goldstone, detailed the results of a UN fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict. The findings recommended that both Hamas and the Israeli government bring to justice those who are responsible for war crimes during the three weeks of fighting in late December and early January.

If they don’t, the report urges that the case be referred to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution.

In the US Congress, sixteen Democrats joined an equal number of Republicans in denouncing the report, which stated that the ratio of civilian casualties inflicted by Israelis was 250 to one, compared to those inflicted by Hamas.

gaza strip | human rights | news report saed at imemc dot org