ISRAEL MAY BE COMMITTING WAR CRIMES, UN RIGHTS ENVOY SAYS

Israel may be committing war crimes, UN rights envoy says

Kerry says some progress made in efforts to end Gaza fighting

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Al Shejaeiya neighbourhood during a military operation in eastern Gaza City. Photograph: Mohammed/EP

Wed, Jul 23, 2014, 13:07

First published: Wed, Jul 23, 2014, 07:03

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said today that Israel may be committing war crimes in Gaza, where its punitive house demolitions and killing of children raise the “strong possibility” that it is violating international law.

Ms Pillay, opening an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by Hamas into Israel.

Israel may have committed war crimes by killing civilians and shelling houses and hospitals during its two-week-old offensive in Gaza, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said today.

   A Malaysian expert (C) examines a black box belonging to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during its handover from pro-Russian separatists, in Donetsk.European shares rebound after black boxes handed over
   Palestinians evacuate a building after what witnesses said were warning Israeli air strikes next to their homes in Gaza City yesterday. Photograph: Reuters/Finbarr O’Reilly It is a war crime to target densely packed Gaza homes
   Palestinians take cover as warning Israeli air strikes are fired at a nearby building in Gaza City yesterday. Photograph: Reuters/Finbarr O’Reilly European and US airlines cancel flights to Israel
   A woman reacts at the funeral of seven members of her family who were killed overnight in an attack in Gaza City. Photograph: Wissam Nassar/The New York Times‘No safe place for civilians’ in densely populated Gaza, says UN
   Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Photograph: Reuters/Murad SezerHow Gaza has changed since Egypt’s proposal for ceasefire

Ms Pillay, opening an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by Palestinian militants into Israel.

Citing cases Israeli air strikes and shelling hitting houses and hospitals in the coastal enclave, she said: “These are just a few examples where there seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes. “Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated,” Ms Pillay said in some of her strongest comments on the conflict.

The Geneva rights forum convened the special one-day session at the request of the Palestinians, Egypt and Pakistan. Israel denied the suggestion, stepping up the war of words and accusing Hamas of using fellow Gazans as human shields.

Ambassador Patricia O’Brien Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva is Ireland’s representative there today.

Kerry says progress made

Israeli forces pounded Gaza today, sending thousands of residents fleeing, and said it was meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists, as US secretary of state John Kerry flew to Tel Aviv to push ceasefire talks.

Mr Kerry said today some progress had been made in efforts to bring an end to 16 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas. “We have certainly made some steps forward. There is still work to be done,” Mr Kerry said shortly after arriving in Jerusalem for a meeting with UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.

Flights

In a blow to Israel’s economy, US and many European air carriers halted flights to the country citing security worries after a militant rocket from Gaza hit a house near Ben Gurion airport. Israel urged a re-think, saying its airspace was safe.

Making an unannounced, one-day visit, Mr Kerry was due to see Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Mr Ban , signalling an intensification of efforts to end the bloodshed.

Israel launched its offensive on July 8th to halt missile salvoes by Hamas Islamists, who were struggling under the weight of an Israeli-Egyptian economic blockade and angered by a crackdown on their supporters in the nearby occupied West Bank.
W