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| UN condemns 'war crimes' in Gaza | UN condemns 'war crimes' in Gaza |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| There is evidence that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes in the recent Gaza conflict, the official UN report says. | There is evidence that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes in the recent Gaza conflict, the official UN report says. |
| The report criticises Israel for using "disproportionate force" and "collective punishment " during the three-week assault ending January 2009. | The report criticises Israel for using "disproportionate force" and "collective punishment " during the three-week assault ending January 2009. |
| It also condemned Palestinian rocket attacks, which sparked the offensive. | |
| Palestinians and human rights groups say more than 1,400 Gazans were killed, but Israel puts the figure at 1,166. | |
| Israel, which had refused to co-operate with the UN fact-finding team, said the report was "clearly one-sided". | Israel, which had refused to co-operate with the UN fact-finding team, said the report was "clearly one-sided". |
| It reiterated that it was "committed to acting fully in accordance with international law and to examining any allegations of wrongdoing by its forces". | It reiterated that it was "committed to acting fully in accordance with international law and to examining any allegations of wrongdoing by its forces". |
| 'Collective punishment' | |
| The investigation, led by South African judge Richard Goldstone, found evidence "indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict", a UN statement said. | The investigation, led by South African judge Richard Goldstone, found evidence "indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict", a UN statement said. |
| Israel said the conflict was to end rockets attacks from Gaza | |
| Israel also "committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity". | Israel also "committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity". |
| The report accuses Israel of imposing "a blockade which amounted to collective punishment" in the lead-up to the conflict. | The report accuses Israel of imposing "a blockade which amounted to collective punishment" in the lead-up to the conflict. |
| It "concludes that the Israeli military operation was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population," said the UN statement. | |
| The report found there was also evidence that Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in their repeated rockets and mortars attacks on Israel. | The report found there was also evidence that Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in their repeated rockets and mortars attacks on Israel. |
| Israel launched the assault on Gaza in an attempt to stop the rocket fire from the enclave. | |
| The 574-page document recommends that authorities in both Israel and Gaza be required to investigate the allegations and report to the UN Security Council within six months. | |
| The full report - which is based on 188 interviews, more than 10,000 pages of documentation and 1,200 photographs - will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council at the end of this month. |