US DISMISSES UN GAZA REPORT AS BIASED

New York, 7 Ramadan 1436/24 June 2015 (MINA) – The U.S. on Tuesday dismissed a recently released UN report on last year’s Israeli invasion of Gaza, saying that its authors are biased against Israel.

The report by the UN’s Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Gaza Conflict was released Monday pointed out the impunity with which Israeli forces committed gave human rights violations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank during its offensive that began in mid-July 2014.

It said the commission gathered substantial information pointing to the possible commission of war crimes by Israel and Palestinian armed groups.

State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Washington will not have a “rebuttal to it” because of the commission’s “bias”. Anadolu Agency reports as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

“We reject the basis under which this particular commission of inquiry was established because of the very clear bias against Israel in it,” Kirby said.

“Because we object to the foundation itself, we’re not going to take it apart and do a point-by-point rebuttal or support for the report.”

The UN commission voiced its concern in the report about Israel’s extensive use of weapons with a wide kill and injury radius, “though not illegal, their use in densely populated areas is highly likely to kill combatants and civilians indiscriminately”.

The report also highlighted that hundreds of people were killed and thousands of homes were destroyed or damaged during the Israeli ground offensive into Gaza. (T/P002/NMT)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)