UN team finds evidence of war crimes in Gaza

A UN fact-finding investigation has revealed another "Israeli" crime against humanity in its three-week war against the Gaza Strip last year.

The UN said in its report on Tuesday that "Israel" violated international humanitarian law and used disproportionate force during its war on Gaza eight months ago, as AFP reported.

Former South African judge Richard Goldstone who led the investigations concluded that " "Israel" committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity."

"There were numerous instances of deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in violation of the fundamental international humanitarian law principle of distinction, resulting in deaths and serious injuries," the report said.

It also said there was "strong evidence that "Israeli" forces committed serious breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention in Gaza, including willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, or extensive destruction of property."

"The firing of white phosphorous shells and the use of high explosive artillery shells were listed as "violations of humanitarian law."

The report added: "The "Israeli" operations were carefully planned in all their phases as a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorize a civilian population," "Israel", who has refused to cooperate with the UN fact-finding team, dismissed the report as "one-sided."

"Both the mandate of the mission and the resolution establishing it prejudged the outcome of any investigation," "Israel's" Foreign Ministry said in its first response to the report on Tuesday.

It said the military had opened more than 100 inquiries into the allegations, but had closed most of them because the accusations were found to be baseless.

In its offensive on the Gaza Strip in December 2008, Israeli forces killed some 1,400 Palestinians, including more than 900 civilians, according to Gaza health officials and human rights groups.