U.S. urges Israel to probe Gaza crimes to boost peace

An explosion is seen after an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip January 13, 2009.

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States called on its close ally Israel on Tuesday to conduct credible investigations into allegations of war crimes committed by its forces in Gaza, saying it would help the Middle East peace process.

Michael Posner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, said that Hamas leaders also had a responsibility to investigate crimes and to end what he called its targeting of civilians in Israel and use of Palestinians as human shields.

The U.N. Human Rights Council held a one-day debate on a report issued this month by Richard Goldstone, a South African jurist and former U.N. war crimes prosecutor.

His panel found the Israeli army and Palestinian militants committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity during their December-January war. Israel did not cooperate with the U.N. inquiry and has rejected the report as biased.

"We encourage Israel to utilize appropriate domestic (judicial) review and meaningful accountability mechanisms to investigate and follow up on credible allegations," Posner said in a speech to the Geneva forum.

"If undertaken properly and fairly, these reviews can serve as important confidence-building measures that will support the larger essential objective which is a shared quest for justice and lasting peace," he said.

But he also said Goldstone's report was "deeply flawed," without providing any details. Washington disagreed with the report's "methodology and many of its recommendations," he said.

He added that the Council paid "grossly disproportionate attention" to Israel, but said that the U.S. delegation was ready to engage in balanced debate.

GOLDSTONE WELCOMES U.S. SUPPORT

Goldstone told a news conference it was encouraging that the United States "has called for acceptable investigations of the allegations by both sides. I think that's important support."

Earlier, he said a lack of accountability for war crimes committed in the Middle East had reached "crisis point," undermining any hope for peace in the region.

Israel says its offensive was intended to stop militants firing rockets at Israel. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says 773 of 1,387 Palestinians killed were civilians. Israel says 709 combatants and 295 civilians were killed. Thirteen Israelis, 10 soldiers and three civilians, died.

Goldstone's report urges the U.N. Security Council to refer the allegations to the International Criminal Court in the Hague if either Israeli or Palestinian authorities fail to investigate and prosecute those suspect of such crimes within six months.

"International courts are courts of last resort, not first resort," he said on Tuesday.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that the Council had a duty to follow up on Goldstone's recommendations in the interest of all victims. In a speech, she also decried the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Later this week, the Council is due to consider a resolution presented by Arab and Islamic countries condemning Israel's failure to cooperate and calling on all parties to implement the report's recommendations. A vote is expected on Friday.

Israel's ambassador Leshno Yaar rejected the report as "shameful" and "one-sided." Israel had opened more than 100 investigations, 23 of which had led to criminal proceedings.

Ibrahim Khraishi, ambassador of the Palestinian delegation, urged the Council to adopt the report which he called objective. "My people will not forgive the international community if the criminals are left without punishment," he said.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)