Susan Rice, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, said on Wednesday she wanted a war crimes report on Israel's 2008-09 Gaza offensive to "disappear".
Israel launched an offensive into besieged Gaza Strip that it killed up to 1500 Palestinians with mostly women and children.
Israel has urged the United Nations to cancel the 2009 report to the U.N. Human Rights Council by South African jurist Richard Goldstone that said Israel "punished and terrorised" civilians in Gaza in a disproportionate attack in its three-week war on the territory.
However, last week, Goldstone wrote in the Washington Post that Israeli investigations of the Gaza conflict indicated civilians had not been "intentionally" targeted.
Netanyahu called on the U.N. to cancel the war crimes report as Israeli FM Lieberman attributed Goldstone's back-pedal to "diplomatic efforts."
Rice told a congressional hearing, "what we want to see is for it to disappear and no longer be a subject of discussion and debate in the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly or beyond."
"We see no need ... for the Goldstone report to be considered and now that its principal author has said what he said, "frankly", our view is reinforced that this should go away and that's what we'll work to do," she said. Israel repeatedly refused to cooperate with Goldstone's investigation.
Rice said the United States did not see "any evidence" at the time that Israel intentionally targeted civilians or committed war crimes."
Rice described U.S. role in the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying that it was better for the United States to stay engaged and resist "anti-Israel bias" on the council rather than turn our backs.
"Goldstone report"
Israeli forces deliberately attacked civilians, failed to take precautions to minimize loss of civilian life and cited strong evidence Israeli forces committed "grave breaches" of the Geneva Convention, the 575-page report had noted.
"The firing of white phosphorous shells and the use of high explosive artillery shells were listed as violations of humanitarian law," the UN report had said.
Goldstone had said Israel's blockade of Gaza, which began prior to the assault, amounted to "collective punishment" for the 1.5 million Gazans, most of whom rely on aid to survive.
It said a court could find that the siege of Gaza is itself a crime against humanity.
Agencies
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=72214
Israel launched an offensive into besieged Gaza Strip that it killed up to 1500 Palestinians with mostly women and children.
Israel has urged the United Nations to cancel the 2009 report to the U.N. Human Rights Council by South African jurist Richard Goldstone that said Israel "punished and terrorised" civilians in Gaza in a disproportionate attack in its three-week war on the territory.
However, last week, Goldstone wrote in the Washington Post that Israeli investigations of the Gaza conflict indicated civilians had not been "intentionally" targeted.
Netanyahu called on the U.N. to cancel the war crimes report as Israeli FM Lieberman attributed Goldstone's back-pedal to "diplomatic efforts."
Rice told a congressional hearing, "what we want to see is for it to disappear and no longer be a subject of discussion and debate in the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly or beyond."
"We see no need ... for the Goldstone report to be considered and now that its principal author has said what he said, "frankly", our view is reinforced that this should go away and that's what we'll work to do," she said. Israel repeatedly refused to cooperate with Goldstone's investigation.
Rice said the United States did not see "any evidence" at the time that Israel intentionally targeted civilians or committed war crimes."
Rice described U.S. role in the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying that it was better for the United States to stay engaged and resist "anti-Israel bias" on the council rather than turn our backs.
"Goldstone report"
Israeli forces deliberately attacked civilians, failed to take precautions to minimize loss of civilian life and cited strong evidence Israeli forces committed "grave breaches" of the Geneva Convention, the 575-page report had noted.
"The firing of white phosphorous shells and the use of high explosive artillery shells were listed as violations of humanitarian law," the UN report had said.
Goldstone had said Israel's blockade of Gaza, which began prior to the assault, amounted to "collective punishment" for the 1.5 million Gazans, most of whom rely on aid to survive.
It said a court could find that the siege of Gaza is itself a crime against humanity.
Agencies
http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=72214
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