UN's Navi Pillay warns of Israel Gaza 'war crimes'
The UN's top human rights official has condemned Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, saying that war crimes may have been committed. Navi Pillay told an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Israel's military offensive had not done enough to protect civilians. She also condemned Hamas for "indiscriminate attacks" on Israel. Israel launched its offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping rocket fire from Gaza. "There seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes," Ms Pillay said. However Israel, which claims the UN Human Rights Council is biased, is unlikely to co-operate with any authorised UN investigation, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva reports. Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni described the UN Human Rights Council as an "anti-Israel" body, Reuters news agency reported.
'Heart-wrenching split'
At least 649 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed in the past 15 days of fighting, officials say. A foreign worker in southern Israel was also killed by a rocket fired from Gaza on Wednesday, police said. The UN says about 74% of those killed in Gaza are civilians, with medical clinics among the facilities hit by air strikes. "Civilians in Gaza have no safe place to go as 44% of the land has been declared a 'no-go zone' by the Israeli army," the assistant secretary-general at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said."Families are taking the heart-wrenching decision to split to different locations - mother and son to one; father and daughter to another - hoping to maximise the chance one part of the family survives." State of panic There was heavy fighting in the town of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Three civilians in Israel and 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed over the last 15 days
Eyewitnesses say around 5,000 Palestinians, some waving white flags, are fleeing in a state of panic following a ground incursion by Israeli troops, the BBC's Paul Adams in Gaza reports.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel on Wednesday to try to help negotiate a truce."We have certainly made some steps forward. There is still work to be done," he said shortly after arriving.Mr Kerry flew by military plane to Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, as several US and European airlines continue to suspend civilian flights into Israel after a rocket from Gaza landed near the airport.German airline Lufthansa announced on Wednesday it would extend the ban for another 24 hours.
'Hamas accountable'
UN's Navi Pillay warns of Israel Gaza 'war crimes'
The UN's top human rights official has condemned Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, saying that war crimes may have been committed. Navi Pillay told an emergency debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that Israel's military offensive had not done enough to protect civilians. She also condemned Hamas for "indiscriminate attacks" on Israel. Israel launched its offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping rocket fire from Gaza. "There seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes," Ms Pillay said. However Israel, which claims the UN Human Rights Council is biased, is unlikely to co-operate with any authorised UN investigation, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva reports. Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni described the UN Human Rights Council as an "anti-Israel" body, Reuters news agency reported.
'Heart-wrenching split'
At least 649 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed in the past 15 days of fighting, officials say. A foreign worker in southern Israel was also killed by a rocket fired from Gaza on Wednesday, police said. The UN says about 74% of those killed in Gaza are civilians, with medical clinics among the facilities hit by air strikes. "Civilians in Gaza have no safe place to go as 44% of the land has been declared a 'no-go zone' by the Israeli army," the assistant secretary-general at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said."Families are taking the heart-wrenching decision to split to different locations - mother and son to one; father and daughter to another - hoping to maximise the chance one part of the family survives." State of panic There was heavy fighting in the town of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Three civilians in Israel and 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed over the last 15 days
Eyewitnesses say around 5,000 Palestinians, some waving white flags, are fleeing in a state of panic following a ground incursion by Israeli troops, the BBC's Paul Adams in Gaza reports.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Israel on Wednesday to try to help negotiate a truce."We have certainly made some steps forward. There is still work to be done," he said shortly after arriving.Mr Kerry flew by military plane to Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, as several US and European airlines continue to suspend civilian flights into Israel after a rocket from Gaza landed near the airport.German airline Lufthansa announced on Wednesday it would extend the ban for another 24 hours.
'Hamas accountable'
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