The 575-page report concluded that Israel used disproportionate force, deliberately targeted civilians, used Palestinians as human shields, and destroyed civilian infrastructure during its Dec. 27-Jan. 18 incursion into the Gaza Strip to root out Palestinian rocket squads.
It accused Palestinian armed groups including Hamas of deliberately targeting civilians and trying to spread terror through rocket attacks on southern Israel.
Almost 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the three-week conflict.
Pillay said it was necessary for both sides “to carry out impartial, independent, prompt, and effective investigations into reported violations of human rights and humanitarian law’’ as recommended by the report.
Israeli Ambassador Aharon Leshno-Yaar called the Goldstone report “biased and flawed,’’ and said a vote endorsing the document “will set back hopes for peace.’’ He accused the council, which has a history of passing resolutions critical of the Jewish state, of using the report for more “Israel-bashing.’’
The United States has taken a similar view that excessive attention to the report and alleged crimes in the Gaza war could hamper peace efforts.
“We stand at an important moment, and must all be mindful of the larger context of ongoing efforts to restart permanent status negotiations that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state’’ said US diplomat Douglas M. Griffiths.
But Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said holding war criminals accountable and respect for human rights “are not obstacles to peace, but rather the preconditions on which trust and, ultimately, a durable peace can be built.’’
