Plans to probe war crimes in Gaza

Palestinian hunger striker to be freed

GENEVA, June 29, (RTRS): Israel and the Palestinians promised on Monday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by their forces during the 2014 Gaza war, amid growing calls for an end to impunity on both sides.

During an often virulent threehour debate at the UN Human Rights Council, boycotted by Israel, the president of the Geneva forum rebuked envoys of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for referring to Israel as a “racist regime” and its “genocidal aggression”.

The council examined a report issued by UN investigators last week saying Israel and Palestinian militant groups committed grave abuses of international humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict that may amount to war crimes.

“This report will be another source of information for our internal investiga- tion,” Eviatar Manor, Israel’s ambassador, told reporters inside the UN building in Geneva as hundreds of pro-Israeli supporters demonstrated outside.

“A substantial number of cases have been reviewed, investigated and closed. There are about 100 cases which are still open. Alleged war crimes are very, very serious crimes.”

Investigations had to be serious and comprehensive “before indictments are being prepared so that the indictments will also carry with them weight and assure prosecution”, Manor said.

In a 50-day war, more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. Israeli air strikes and shelling hammered the densely populated Gaza Strip, dominated by the Islamist Hamas movement, causing widespread destruction of homes and schools. RAMALLAH, June 29, (AFP): Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan ended a 56-day hunger strike on Sunday after Israel agreed to release him, his lawyer and the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced.

Adnan, 37, has been held for a year under administrative detention, which allows imprisonment without charge for renewable periods of six months indefinitely.

His hunger strike, which had brought him near death, had sparked warnings from the Palestinian government that it held Israel responsible for his fate.

“Khader Adnan ended his hunger strike last night, after an agreement was reached to release him on July 12,” his lawyer Jawad Boulos said.

He said doctors at the Israeli hospital he was transferred to were considering ways to start feeding him.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed that Mr Adnan had ended his hunger strike.