UN Findings Contradict Israeli Response on Gaza

Wednesday February 03, 2010 00:20 by Circare Parrhesia - IMEMC News & Agencies

British daily, The Guardian, have reported that the Israeli response to the report authored by Richard Goldstone and his UN fact-finding team, contains a critical error, regarding the al-Badr flour mill.

The UN mine action team, in charge of ordnance following Operation Cast Lead, disclosed information to The Guardian detailing their findings; that of the remains of a 500-pound Mk82 bomb, deployed via airplane, in the ruins of the al-Badr flour mill.

These findings are in direct contradiction to the 46-page report submitted, by Israel, to the UN on Friday. The document maintains that the Israeli military carried out its operations in accordance with international law and held itself to the highest standards of military ethics.

Although no one was killed in the assault upon the flour mill, al-Badr, in the north of the Gaza Strip, was the only operational flour mill in the region, and the Goldstone Report states that, “[i]t thus appears that the only purpose [in bombing al-Badr flour mill] was to put an end to the production of flour in the Gaza Strip."

Judge Goldstone’s report, published in September 2009, has been denounced by the Israeli government, despite the report also being critical of Hamas. The report alleges that both sides contravened the 4th Geneva Convention, committed war crimes, and that, possibly, crimes against humanity were committed.

Israel has held the Gaza Strip under siege since June 2006, limiting the resources allowed into the region, including foodstuffs, gas for heating & cooking, and building supplies, urgently needed after the destruction during Cast Lead.

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