UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict

Foreign Minister Støre considers the allegations made in the UN report released yesterday concerning violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict to be very serious. He said that Norway will actively follow up the report in the UN Human Rights Council.

“The extensive work carried out by the UN Fact-Finding Mission must now be actively followed up. The report contains very serious allegations. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Norway will as a first step seek to ensure that the report is dealt with as thoroughly as possible by the Human Rights Council,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Justice Richard Goldstone of South Africa has led the UN Human Rights Council’s independent Fact-Finding Mission, which has investigated alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the Gaza conflict. Its report
concluded there is evidence indicating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law were committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict, and that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity. The report also concludes there is also evidence that Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes, as well as possibly crimes against humanity, in their repeated launching of rocket attacks and mortars into Southern Israel.

“I note that the Justice Goldstone’s Fact-Finding Mission has considered the conduct of both parties to the conflict. Norway has earlier underlined the need for an independent investigation of the alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the operations in Gaza earlier this year,” said Mr Støre.

“Norway has also stressed that those responsible for any violations of humanitarian law must be brought to justice,” the Foreign Minister added.

Read the report here.