Has Israel committed war crimes in Gaza?
The UN launches an investigation into Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
Twenty-nine of the UN Human Rights Council’s 47 members voted in favour of creating a commission of inquiry to look at possible war crimes committed by Israel. Only the United States voted against the resolution, while 17 states abstained, 10 of them European.
The vote was taken after Navi Pillay, the UN’s human rights commissioner, said there is a “strong possibility” that Israel is guilty. The UN council condemned the Israeli assault on Gaza, which it said has involved “disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks”, including aerial bombing of civilian areas, collective punishment and the killing of more than 700 Palestinians.
Pillay also accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fighting Israel of committing war crimes with indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
But based on past experiences, will the UN investigation serve any purpose? And could potential war crimes perpetrators be brought to justice?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Diana Buttu – Former Legal Adviser to the Palestinian Negotiating Team
Hillel Neuer – Executive Director of UN Watch
Bill Van Esveld – Israel and Palestine Researcher at Human Rights Watch