Israel used disproportionate force during its assault on the Gaza Strip eight months ago and failed to take precautions to minimize loss of civilian life, a UN fact-finding report said Tuesday.

"The Gaza military operations were directed by Israel at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population," said the report.

Former South African Judge Richard Goldstone led the UN Human Rights Council Commission on Gaza.

"The mission concluded that actions amounting to war crimes and possibly, in some respects, crimes against humanity, were committed by the Israel Defense Forces”, he told a press briefing on September 15th.

"There's no question that the firing of rockets and mortars [by armed groups from Gaza] was deliberate and calculated to cause loss of life and injury to civilians and damage to civilian structures. The mission found that these actions also amount to serious war crimes and also possibly crimes against humanity".

Investigation
The report recommended that the Security Council should require Israel to investigate the alleged crimes.

The Security Council should also appoint a committee of experts to monitor the investigation, the report added. If it did not take place, or did not conform with international standards, the situation should be referred to the International Criminal Court.

Commenting on this Deputy Spokesman for the Israeli Minisry of Foreign Affairs Andy David said, "The report ignored the fact that Israel is already conducting investigations...When there is an honest organisation that comes to us...we will investigate, we will never leave a stone unturned".

Dr. Omar Abdel Razek is a former Hamas Minister of Finance and current member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Speaking to Radio Netherlands he said, "We know the Israelis in the past have investigated for a short time just for public propaganda and then decide there were no violations. We hope the UN follow up on the report and take Israel and its leaders to international court so that they don't repeat these aggressions".
The report also called on the Security Council to require the committee of experts to perform a similar role regarding the relevant Palestinian authorities.

David commented, "There is a general message in the report that Hamas is guilty of crimes. Nobody takes it seriously, especially Hamas. I think Hamas today is a very happy organisation after reading the Goldstone report".

Justice Goldstone will present the report to the UN Human Rights Council on September 29th.