A UN fact-finding mission on the January Gaza conflict has concluded that there is evidence that both the Israeli army and Palestinian militants committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The enquiry was ordered by the UN security council and headed by a former international prosecutor Richard Goldstone. The report severely criticised Israel's use of disproportionate force in the conflict and said that Israeli forces deliberately attacked civilians and failed to take precautions to minimise loss of civilian life.
 

The report also criticised Palestinian militants for firing rockets against civilians in Israel. The Palestinian rocket attacks against non-military targets prompted Israel to launch the Gaza operation.
 

Israel had refused to co-operate with the mission on the grounds that it received biased instructions from the UN human rights council and immediately dismissed the report, saying the mission was one-sided and prejudged the outcome of any investigation.