Israel/Gaza - Goldstone report

Israel rejects UN resolution on Goldstone report

Article published on the 2009-11-06 Latest update 2009-11-06 11:26 TU

The 22-day war cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis
(Photo: Reuters)

Israel has rejected a United Nations resolution calling on it and the Palestinians to investigate possible war crimes committed during the Gaza war which ran for 22 days from late December 2008.

"Israel rejects the resolution of the UN General Assembly, which is completely detached from realities on the ground that Israel must face," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It went on to say that during the war, which cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Israeli military "demonstrated higher military and moral standards than each and every one of this resolution's instigators."

The Arab-sponsored resolution, which backed the findings of former international prosecutor Richard Goldstone, had been adopted by UN assembly on Thursday.

The vote was 114 in favour and 18 against, with 44 abstentions. The US voted against the resolution while Russia and the majority of European Union countries, including France, Britain, Spain and Sweden, abstained after failing to secure amendments to the text.

One of these would have dropped references to possible Security Council action if the report's findings are not implemented.

The Goldstone report had recommended that its findings be transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza fail to conduct credible investigations into the war.