UN Faults Israel for Attacks on UN Shelters during 2014 Gaza War
A United Nations report has found Israel responsible for a number of attacks on UN shelters in the Gaza Strip that left dozens of Palestinians dead and wounded.
The Guardian reports that the findings were part of a 207-page investigation that was ordered by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon. The report found that Israel was responsible for the attacks that killed 44 Palestinians and wounded 227 others.
The report also placed blame on Palestinian militants who used some UN schools to store weapons. The report takes pains to note however, that the schools where weapons were found were not being used to shelter civilians who sought to escape the fighting.
The UN was particularly upset that the Israelis attacked the UN shelters because the UN makes a point of telling both sides in a conflict where there shelters are so that combatants will steer clear of them.
In at least one instance, Israel tried to blame a school attack on a rocket fired by Palestinian militants that had failed to reach its intended target.
The Israeli military is currently in the midst of criminal investigations into the bombing of the UN shelters.
The inquiry on which the findings are based was carried out by the UN Human Rights Council. The investigators were led by a former Dutch general named Patrick Cammaert. The findings were based on a numerous interviews with UN staff, Palestinians, and members of aid organizations. The report also relied on forensic evidence, weapon analysis, medical reports, videos, and photographs.
The most recent fighting in Gaza lasted for 50 days and claimed 2,100 Palestinian lives.Most were civilians. The Israelis lost 67 soldiers and six civilians.
