Gaza report not politically motivated: Goldstein

Rejecting attacks on the UN report on the Gaza conflict which had found strong evidence of human rights violations committed by Israeli forces, its main author has said the mission's efforts were not politically motivated.

Rejecting attacks on the UN report on the Gaza conflict which had found strong evidence of human rights violations committed by Israeli forces, its main author has said the mission's efforts were not politically motivated.

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"We will not address these attacks as we believe that the answers to those who have criticised us are in the findings of the report," Justice Richard Goldstein told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"I have, however, to strongly reject one major accusation levelled against the Mission; the one that portrays our efforts as being politically motivated," he added.

The report, which the Mission released at the UN headquarters on September 15 finds strong evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli forces during the military assault that lasted from December 2008 to January 2009, and claimed more than 1400 lives.

The main recommendation of the Mission is for the Security Council to require Israel to report within six months on prosecutions it carries. If the relevant authorities fail in this task, the Council should refer the matter to the prosecutor of the ICC.