Gaza - South African prosecutor Richard Goldstone, head of
UN inquiry team to investigate the outcome of the Israeli offensive
in the Gaza Strip, said Thursday he had been shocked by the extent of
the destruction in the Palestinian areas.
At a press conference, Goldstone also voiced his regret that the
Israelis had refused to cooperate with the UN experts team, saying
this 'would influence the credibility of the report.'
Goldstone did not discuss the results of the team's three-day
visit to the Gaza, but did express his feelings about the destruction
he had seen during their inspection of the narrow enclave.
'I listened to testimonies and I received very important documents
and video tapes that will be helping us to prepare our final report,'
said Goldstone, who suggested meeting with the witnesses in both Gaza
and Geneva.
He added that his committee 'will finish listening to the
witnesses by the end of June and then will prepare its final report
on the situation on August, where it will be published in September.'
The board will also look into the actions of the armed
Palestinian groups during the operation, especially the rockets they
fired at the Israeli communities near Gaza.
More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and some 5,000 wounded in
the offensive which started on December 27, 2008 and ended January
18, 2009.
On the Israeli side, three Israeli civilians were killed in
Palestinian rocket attacks and tens of soldiers were killed in the
fighting inside Gaza.
'We had already visited 14 locations in Gaza city and in northern
Gaza Strip, and we listened to 70 eyewitnesses, who are the families
of the victims. We also visited schools, and the Red Crescent
Hospital,' said Goldstone.
Israel declined cooperation with the UN experts team in the
conviction that the team's task was to declare Israel the guilty
party.
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