Members of UN human rights probe into Gaza conflict meet in Geneva

The independent team of investigators tasked by the United Nations Human Rights Council with examining alleged rights abuses and violations of international law during the recent conflict in Gaza began a week-long meeting in Geneva today to prepare for a fact-finding mission to the region.

The Geneva-based Council established the fact-finding mission into Israel’s three-week long military offensive in Gaza, which had the stated aim of ending Hamas rocket attacks on its territory and left – according to UN relief officials – at least 1,300 Palestinians dead and some 5,300 injured.

A UN spokesperson told reporters in New York that the four-person team, led by the former prosecutor for International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Richard Goldstone of South Africa, will hold discussions this week with representatives of Israel and Palestine, as well as other relevant Member States, civil society, and UN agencies.

The other members of the team include Christine Chinkin, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science at the University of London; Hina Jilani, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and former Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders; and Colonel (retired from the Irish Armed Forces) Desmond Travers, member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI).

This fact-finding mission is separate from the UN Board of Inquiry, led by Ian Martin of the United Kingdom, which is probing incidents involving death and damage at the world body’s premises in Gaza during Israel’s military operation.