Richard Burden MP, Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group (BPAPPG), has welcomed the findings of a United Nations’ investigation into the conduct of Israel and Hamas during Operation Cast Lead.
The 22-day long conflict claimed the lives of over 1,300 Palestinians, 352 of them children. The civilians and infrastructure of the Gaza Strip bore the brunt of Israel’s assault, with schools, hospitals, clinics, mosques and private homes coming under repeated attack. The report concluded that Israel had used both “disproportionate force” and “collective punishment” against the population of Gaza, and that its actions may have constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This is reflective of the findings of a fact finding mission conducted by BPAPPG in the immediate aftermath of the conflict. A delegation from the Group visited Gaza in February and saw for itself the devastating impact of Israel’s campaign upon the population of the territory.
Commenting upon the findings of the UN report Richard Burden MP, Chair of BPAPPG, said:
“A delegation from the Britain-Palestine All Party Group witnessed at first hand the effects of Operation Cast Lead upon the civilian population of the Gaza Strip: the thousands of homes that were needlessly ruined; the hospitals that were attacked; and the schools that were destroyed. I welcome the report by Richard Goldstone and his team from the UN and support their conclusion that Israel’s actions represented an unjustified assault upon the people of Gaza.”
The UN report has recommended that authorities in both Israel and Gaza be required to investigate the allegations and report to the UN Security Council within six months. The All Party Group supports that recommendation and calls upon the British government and the wider international community to act upon the findings of the report. Richard Burden MP added:
“The Foreign Secretary told the House of Commons in January that he would welcome an international inquiry into Operation Cast Lead. The UN investigation has recommended that Israel must explain its actions to the Security Council and, if necessary, to the International Criminal Court. I hope that the British government will do everything in its power to ensure that these suggestions are adhered to.”
The Group also reiterates its call for the blockade of Gaza, now into its twenty-seventh month, to end. The UN report singled this out as an example of Israel’s “overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population”, and the Group urges the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to redouble their efforts to bring this flagrant example of collective punishment to an immediate end.
