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Last update - 17:52 29/10/2009
UN to debate Goldstone Gaza report next week
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, United Nations 

The United Nations General Assembly announced late Wednesday it will meet next week to consider a report that accused both Israeli forces and Palestinian militants of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the offensive in Gaza last winter.

The Geneva-based Human Rights Council endorsed the report by an expert panel chaired by South African Judge Richard Goldstone on Oct. 16 and recommended that the General Assembly take it up during the current session.

General Assembly President Ali Treki received a letter from the president of the Human Rights Council transmitting the report and requests from Arab nations and the 118-member Nonaligned Group of mainly developing nations asking the assembly to consider its findings and recommendations during the first week of November, Assembly spokesman Jean Victor Nkolo said.
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He said Treki intends to convene a plenary meeting of the General Assembly on Nov. 4.

The Goldstone report concluded that Israel used disproportionate force, deliberately targeting civilians, using Palestinians as human shields, and destroying civilian infrastructure during its incursion into Gaza to root out Palestinian rocket squads.

It accused Palestinian armed groups of deliberately targeting civilians and trying to spread terror through its rocket attacks on southern Israel. Hamas, the Palestinian Authority's main rival, controls Gaza and most armed groups in the territory.

The report recommended that the Security Council require both sides to carry out credible investigations within three months into alleged abuses during the conflict - in which 13 Israelis and almost 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed - and to follow that up with action in their courts.

If either side refuses, the investigators recommended that the Security Council refer the evidence for prosecution by the International Criminal Court, the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal, within six months.

Even if the report eventually gets to the Security Council, there is little chance it will take any action, primarily because of objections by the United States, Israel's closest ally which has veto power and has said the report is biased and should not be taken up by the UN's most powerful body.

The resolution approved by the Human Rights Council condemns Israel's failure to cooperate with Goldstone's fact-finding mission, endorses the report's recommendations and calls on the UN and other bodies to ensure they are implemented.

The report has set off an uproar in Israel with the country's leaders calling the document biased and accusing the Human Rights Council of being hostile to Israel.

Ban told a news conference he looks forward to the General Assembly's debate and decision.

"I will decide my own course of action upon that," he said.

The secretary-general reiterated that alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws must be investigated and those responsible should be held accountable.

"I have called repeatedly on both the Israeli government and the Palestinians to carry out full, independent and credible investigations," he said.

Ban also urged Israel to accept UN proposals for the reconstruction of Gaza, noting that 10 months after hostilities ended there has been no progress on rebuilding homes, buildings and infrastructure - or on reopening the territory's borders.

Related articles:
  • UN human rights chief endorses Goldstone Gaza report
  • Richard Goldstone slams UN for failing to censure Hamas
  • PA pushing for UN to act on Goldstone 'war crime' findings
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      1.   Nice- A move in the right direction 06:26  |  kemp mill 29/10/09
      2.   November 4th is fitting, this AP story however... 06:40  |  BBSNews 29/10/09
      3.   Quick show him the money before the 4thNovember 06:43  |  lydia 29/10/09
      4.   UN, Goldstone and terror 06:45  |  DT 29/10/09
      5.   Sail on Silvery Moon! 06:52  |  Mark 29/10/09
      6.   Israel Should Defend its Position Without USA Support 07:03  |  Vladek 29/10/09
      7.   US automatic-veto not assured 07:09  |  binny 29/10/09
      8.   DT 07:38  |  stella westwell 29/10/09
      9.   Let the slurring of General Ban Ki-moon begin 07:39  |  CJ 29/10/09
      10.   world terrorism escalates so scapegoat Israel 07:45  |  Lily 29/10/09
      11.   Vladek and neutrality 08:06  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      12.   stella 08:08  |  zoe 29/10/09
      13.   un 08:15  |  victor 29/10/09
      14.   MOON" WILL decide action after G.A??Come on,Israel has no chance 08:23  |  PETER SM 29/10/09
      15.   UN Goldstone report, at last some good news 08:42  |  Esther 29/10/09
      16.   Palestinians armed groups LOL 08:46  |  DismantleUN 29/10/09
      17.   #7 Learn what the UN is 08:49  |  Knows 29/10/09
      18.   Inevitable... 08:51  |  Esther 29/10/09
      19.   I`d just like to point this out...... 09:02  |  Johnboy 29/10/09
      20.   #14 Esther - You remembered to mention the other side?... 09:15  |  S 29/10/09
      21.   Esther 09:21  |  Sarah 29/10/09
      22.   Bad Times Ahead For Israel Unless........ 09:28  |  Philip 29/10/09
      23.   inevitably esther 09:44  |  yona 29/10/09
      24.   Goldstone 10:26  |  Jeff 29/10/09
      25.   The Goldstone report never even admits that Hamas is a ... 11:02  |  B. Gold 29/10/09
      26.   Hi S #20... your facetious remark rather opaque... 11:31  |  Esther 29/10/09
      27.   "credible investigations" 11:40  |  MG 29/10/09
      28.   Sarah #21... ironically at long last Israel will gain... 11:49  |  Esther 29/10/09
      29.   Did you know that 11:52  |  Stan 29/10/09
      30.   WESTWELLforget the GA-UNHRC-Arabist farce.Wait for the Sec.Councl 12:06  |  PETER SM 29/10/09
      31.   PETER SM 12:12  |  Roo 29/10/09
      32.   Include blatant baiting by Hamas and Lebanon 12:14  |  lily 29/10/09
      33.   Stan #26, you obviously have .... 12:52  |  Esther 29/10/09
      34.   UNGA is legally irrelevant 12:58  |  The Prophet 29/10/09
      35.   SDHD # 11 on being neutral 13:51  |  Oracle 29/10/09
      36.   Little Octoberfest in NYC with incredible impediments 13:55  |  17 29/10/09
      37.   The world awaits with bated breath 14:15  |  Gully Foyle 29/10/09
      38.   UN to dismantled 14:15  |  diocer 29/10/09
      39.   The Point of War is to Win 14:34  |  Mark from Georgia 29/10/09
      40.   Israelis are invaders occupying the land 14:40  |  Natallie Durson 29/10/09
      41.   Esther, are you in touch with reality? 14:44  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      42.   # 10 & 12: Lily & Zoe 14:55  |  Stephen 29/10/09
      43.   To all the sanctimonious hypocrites, especially from the US... 15:04  |  bat yam 29/10/09
      44.   Oracle`s neutrality 15:07  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      45.   uN 15:27  |  Dr. Nina Zeldis 29/10/09
      46.   What Operation Cast Lead Has Succeeded in Doing 15:33  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/10/09
      47.   powerful words! 15:36  |  edgar 29/10/09
      48.   Esther from TA and defence of Sederot, Askelon 15:40  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      49.   B. Gold, Israel LIED about human shields... 15:56  |  BBSNews 29/10/09
      50.   Peter SM, still banging this drum about 16:03  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      51.   This Will Go Nowhere 16:11  |  Ron 29/10/09
      52.   r cummings, and the CRAM whiz bang system... 16:17  |  BBSNews 29/10/09
      53.   And Mr. Sullivan, 43 16:25  |  Ron 29/10/09
      54.   Definition of a terrorist organisation anyone? 16:29  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      55.   bat yam, let me fix it for you... 16:36  |  BBSNews 29/10/09
      56.   Stephen: the Russian, Cinese, US, UK, Syrian, Hamas, Hezbo, Egypt 16:42  |  Did bad things too 29/10/09
      57.   #43 bat yam.....yes, defending one`s sovereignty 16:49  |  Lynn 29/10/09
      58.   Dr. #42... retaliation/revenge for 9/11 continues to be 16:50  |  Esther 29/10/09
      59.   Is Israel outnumbered in the UN Stan? 16:51  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      60.   UN Debate!! 16:54  |  Col [Res] Cohen 29/10/09
      61.   # 6 Vladek 16:57  |  Cool B 29/10/09
      62.   #51 Ron....it`s all about power for the UN 17:00  |  Lynn 29/10/09
      63.   The Prophet`s clouded crystal ball 17:00  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      64.   Hi Esther #26 - How nice of you to side with the underdog ... 17:01  |  S 29/10/09
      65.   Latest from EU another turn of the screw 17:01  |  Shimon 29/10/09
      66.   #38 diocer....I think the UN should be also 17:04  |  Lynn 29/10/09
      67.   Mark from Georgia and `overwhelming force` 17:24  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      68.   #40;Natallie Durson, so your position is... 17:33  |  Mark from Georgia 29/10/09
      69.   WAIT So the Report Doesn`t Find That Hamas Used Civilians As... 17:36  |  Eli 29/10/09
      70.   Eli. misconceptions 18:06  |  Roo 29/10/09
      71.   Do Palestinians exist? The big existential 18:17  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      72.   the nations now pushing the report in UNGA are the same nations - 18:31  |  ivo 29/10/09
      73.   To r cummings on mark from Georgia please advise when 19:06  |  Eli 29/10/09
      74.   BSNews and his "political sacrifices" 19:12  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      75.   Cummings and "one man`s terrorist" 19:13  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      76.   Cummings - reality isn`t your area of expertise, is it? 19:21  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      77.   Cummings refers to Palestinian Jews as Jews 19:22  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      78.   another insight from r cummings 19:41  |  passerby 29/10/09
      79.   Eli, about that additional protocal, read the report! 19:45  |  BBSNews 29/10/09
      80.   Eli - Proportionality (2) 20:46  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      81.   Cummings` proportionality 21:13  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      82.   Another semanticist! 21:30  |  r cummings 29/10/09
      83.   No, Ron, It Is Not I Who Am cou cou 21:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/10/09
      84.   Gaza`s 10th month of collective punishment 21:52  |  Roo 29/10/09
      85.   Iran: Israel is guilty! Sudan: Israel is guilty! Hamas: Israel... 22:15  |  End of debate 29/10/09
      86.   Cummings, another fan of ethnic cleansing 22:41  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      87.   Cummings not a fan of Jews, obviously 22:41  |  SDHD 29/10/09
      88.   an invented people 22:50  |  hollingsworth 29/10/09
      89.   So the Goldstone report is going to be discussed 00:13  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/10/09
      90.   hollingsworth, you are a goy and 00:15  |  17 30/10/09
      91.   The Truth Is Coming Out ... 04:23  |  Eva 30/10/09
      92.   Goldstone will go nowhere 05:15  |  Jasper 30/10/09
      93.   RE edgar 05:46  |  shlomog 30/10/09
      94.   RE bbs bullshiter 05:53  |  shlomog 30/10/09
      95.   R Cummings` clouded judgement 00:22  |  The Prophet 31/10/09
      96.   A history lesson for Natalie 12:08  |  The Prophet 31/10/09
      97.   #88; hollingsworth, That`s correct an invented people 17:36  |  Mark from Georgia 02/11/09
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