Evidence of war crimes by Israel - UN report

A United Nations investigation found "serious violations of international humanitarian law" that "may amount to war crimes" by both Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip during their bloody battle last summer, according to a report released on Monday in Geneva.

The report by a commission of the United Nations Human Rights Council said that "impunity prevails across the board" regarding the actions of Israeli forces in Gaza, and it called on Israel to "break with its recent lamentable track record in holding wrongdoers accountable."

AThe report is expected to serve as a road map for the inquiry into possible war crimes already underway by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

The report, which will be discussed by the Human Rights Council later this month, questioned why Israel's political and military leadership had not changed its course of action despite considerable information about civilian deaths. That "raises questions about potential violations of international humanitarian law by these officials, which may amount to war crimes," it said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel quickly condemned the report as "biased," noting that the Human Rights Council addresses Israel "more than Iran, Syria and North Korea together," and pointed to recent reports by retired American and European generals that praised the Israeli military's conduct.