India has expressed its reservations from making any "unqualified endorsement" on the findings and recommendations of the Goldstone report at a special session of the UN General Assembly.
"We have reservations in making unqualified endorsement of the various recommendations as well as
some of the procedures adopted by the Goldstone report, including the involvement of the International Criminal Court and that of the Security Council," Member of Parliament (MP) B K Hariprasad said, speaking on behalf of the Indian delegation.
While speaking on the country's stand, the MP recalled earlier objections voiced by India on "the weakness of the report, including the fact that the report itself admits that its findings do not necessarily reach the standard of proof applicable in criminal trials."
Prepared by the UN Fact Finding Mission, headed by South African judge Richard Goldstone, the report accuses both Hamas and Israeli forces of war crimes in the Gaza strip from December, 2008 to January this year.
India underlined that the report should have addressed its recommendations solely to the Human Rights Council in Geneva and not to other UN institutions, including the Security Council.
It has, however, supported the report's recommendation that calls for accountability.