The United Nations on Monday named experts to an international commission of inquiry into
possible human rights violations and
war crimes committed by
both sides during Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Israel, however, dismissed the inquiry as a U.N. Human
Rights Council "kangaroo court".
William Schabas, a Canadian professor of international law,
will head the panel whose other members are Doudou Diene, a
Senegalese veteran U.N. human rights expert.
A U.N. statement said Amal Alamuddin, a British-Lebanese
lawyer engaged to be married to Hollywood actor George Clooney
would take part though Alamuddin later denied she would
participate in the inquiry.
"I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing
commitments - including eight ongoing cases - unfortunately
could not accept this role," she said in a statement.
It was not clear who would replace Alamuddin on the panel.
The U.N. statement said the independent team will
investigate "all violations of international humanitarian law
and international human rights law ... in the context of the
military operations conducted since 13 June 2014."
A month of war, marked by Israeli air strikes on Gaza and
rockets fired by Hamas militants into Israel, has killed 1,938
Palestinians and 67 Israelis while devastating wide tracts of
densely populated Gaza.
The panel is to report by March 2015 to the U.N. Human
Rights Council. Israel has long accused the 47-member state
forum of bias against it.
Navi Pillay, the top U.N. human rights official, said on
July 31 she believed Israel was deliberately defying
international law in its military offensive in Gaza and that
world powers should hold it accountable for possible war crimes.
Israel has attacked homes, schools, hospitals, Gaza's only
power plant and U.N. premises in apparent violation of the
Geneva Conventions, said Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge.
Hamas militants in Gaza have violated international
humanitarian law by firing rockets indiscriminately into Israel,
Pillay said.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed indirect talks
mediated by Egypt on Monday on ending the war, Egypt's state
news agency said, after a new 72-hour truce appeared to be
holding.
In a statement, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal
Palmor issued a statement dismissing the inquiry. He cited
Israel's view that "the Human Rights Council had long ago turned
into the 'terrorist rights council' and a kangaroo court, whose
'investigations' are pre-determined."
Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri in Gaza said "Hamas welcomes
the decision to form an investigation committee into the war
crimes committed by the occupation (Israel) against Gaza and it
urges that it begin work as soon as possible."
Israel is still angry about a U.N. inquiry on the December
2008-January 2009 Israeli war against Gaza, headed by South
African jurist Richard Goldstone. That report said both Israel
and Hamas appeared to have committed war crimes, though it was
tougher on Israel.
Israel and Washington said that report was distorted and
biased against Israel.
REUTERS