Arab League to probe Gaza war crimes allegations

Arab League mission headed to Gaza Strip, necessary legal procedures to be taken, spokesman says

AP and Roee Nahmias|Last update: 02.21.09 , 22:48

An Arab League official says a League mission is headed to the Gaza to investigate allegations that Israel committed war crimes during its recent offensive in the Strip.

Human rights groups in Gaza confirmed that a high-ranking delegation on behalf of the Arab League will be visiting the Strip Sunday after arriving via the Rafah crossing, the Ma'an news agency said.

League Spokesman Hisham Youssef says the mission will prepare a detailed report for League head Amr Moussa "and take the necessary legal procedures."

Youssef said another League mission leaving for Gaza on Saturday will be accompanied by a second committee that will assess the aid needed to rebuild Gaza.

During the day, the Arab League held a session attended by two committees looking into the situation in the Strip. One committee reportedly comprises international legal experts.

Youssef noted that the efforts to investigate Israeli war crimes are expected to take a long time and that the probe was only at its early stages.

"We embarked on the process of adopting legal steps in order to ensure that none of those who committed the crimes against the Palestinian people will evade punishment," he said.

New TV show

Meanwhile, al-Jazeera's English-language network is planning to air a new show titled "War Crime?" where allegations of IDF crimes will be examined. Among other charges, the show will include the story of a Palestinian woman shot in the head while she was waving a white flag, according to the Palestinians.

Recently, Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter was furious over reports that Jordan planned to file a lawsuit against himself and other Israeli officials at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza offensive.

"There is no greater hypocrisy than a country that just 39 years ago, during Black September in 1970, murdered 10,000 of its Palestinian residents – dealing with international crimes today," Dichter told Ynet.