Hamas defends rocket attacks on Israel, rejects UN push for new investigation

January 28, 2010|Associated Press

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gaza’s Hamas rulers yesterday defended their actions during the war last winter, saying they did not target civilians while firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns, and rebuffing a UN call for a new inquiry.

A report a Hamas official gave to the Associated Press days before a UN deadline indicated Hamas will not convene an independent investigation of its rocket fire.

Both Israel and Hamas rejected allegations by the UN inquiry of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, and both appear ready to ignore the internal investigations demands.

In the aftermath of the war, most of the criticism has been leveled at Israel, alleging it with using disproportionate force. About 1,400 Gazans were killed, many of them civilians. The UN commission said Israel intentionally targeted civilians, an allegation Israel hotly denied.

The Hamas report will be submitted to the UN later this week, said the official, Mohammed al-Ghoul. Its argument is that rockets fired from Gaza were meant to hit military targets, but because they are unguided, they hit civilians by mistake.

Palestinian militants fired some 800 rockets and mortar shells into Israel during the war, killing three civilians, wounding about 80, and slightly injuring more than 800.