Azernews.Az

By Bloomberg

A United Nations panel investigating the seven-week conflict last year between Israel and Gaza Strip militants found evidence suggesting both sides committed war crimes.

It accused Israel of failing to alter the course of its military onslaught when the extent of the killing of Palestinian civilians became clear. The panel said the indiscriminate firing of missiles into Israel by Palestinian armed groups in the Hamas-ruled territory may constitute a war crime. The execution without trial of alleged Palestinian collaborators with Israel amounts to a war crime, it said.

“The commission was able to gather substantial information pointing to serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Israel and by Palestinian armed groups,” said the report issued from Geneva by the commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. “In some cases, these violations may amount to war crimes.”

Israel refused to cooperate with the commission, saying it was biased, and issued its own report last week asserting military forces complied with international law. The UN panel called on both Israelis and Palestinians to cooperate with a further investigation by the International Criminal Court, which may yield a war crimes trial.