UN starts investigation in Gaza into human rights violations
10:43, 3 June 2009
GAZA. June 3. KAZINFORM. A UN investigative team began work in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday to examine claims of human rights violations that are alleged to have occurred during a three-week military offensive by Israeli troops on Gaza in January; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The investigative team visited a UN office in Gaza that came under attack during the offensive, met a family, which lost dozens of family members and have also been given documentary evidence of the events in the enclave.
The group is working under Hamas-controlled security forces, which has barred journalists from the investigative process.
The group is expected to remain in the Gaza Strip until Friday, and then continue their investigation in southern Israel, where Palestinian militants fired mortar rounds on border towns.
Israeli authorities have refused to cooperate with the UN investigators.
At least 1,300 Palestinians were killed many of them civilians, during the three-week offensive and some 5,000 people were injured; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version.