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Hamas 'surprised' by Goldstone's U-turn

4 Apr 2011 07:57

Islam Times - Hamas says it is "surprised" by the recent U-turn by the head of the UN fact-finding mission on Israel's conduct during the war on the Gaza Strip


Islam Times reports from Press TV: The 575-page report, written by UN Human Rights Council's jurist Richard Goldstone and three other international experts, had accused the Israeli army of deliberate killing of Palestinian civilians among other instances of war crimes.

More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed during the three weeks of Israeli land, sea and air assault on the impoverished coastal sliver, which remains under a crippling Israeli siege, in place since June 2007. The offensive also inflicted $1.6 billion of damage to the Gaza economy.

Goldstone announced on Saturday that he was wrong to say Israel had deliberately targeted civilians during its onslaught on Gaza at the turn of 2009.

In a statement released on Sunday, spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas was “surprised” by Goldstone's U-turn, which has been made under Israeli pressure.

"Hamas calls on the United Nations to enforce the provisions in the Goldstone report because the report has become an international document," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN to withdraw the critical report altogether. The Goldstone report should be formally nullified, he said.

Netanyahu added Israel is to set up a team of legal experts to lessen the massive damage to Tel Aviv, caused by the report.


Story Code: 63028

News Link :
https://www.islamtimes.org/en/news/63028/hamas-surprised-by-goldstone-s-u-turn

Islam Times
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