Oops? A Qassam being launched at Israel (Archives)
Hamas internal document defends war actions
Islamist group to answer UN's demand for post Gaza war internal probe by citing justifiable fire on enemy forces, say rockets hit civilian population because they were lacking guiding systems
Gaza's Hamas rulers on Wednesday defended their actions during Israel's assault last winter, saying they did not target civilians while firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli towns, and rebuffing a UN call for a new inquiry.
Both Israel and Hamas rejected charges by the UN inquiry of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the Gaza war, and both appear ready to ignore the demand for internal investigations.
Defiance
Associated Press
Edelstein says Israel does not intend to create committee to investigate IDF offensive, but will relay document addressing 'character and credibility of internal investigations that took place in Israel'
Palestinian militants fired some 800 rockets and mortar shells into Israel during the war, killing three civilians, wounding about 80 and mildly injuring more than 800.
Hundreds of rockets pelted the border town of Sderot, where there are no military bases. They also hit cities as far away as Beersheba, about 25 miles from Gaza. Most Israelis in rocket range stayed in bomb shelters, avoiding further casualties.
"Palestinian armed groups have repeatedly confirmed that they abiding by international humanitarian law, through broadcasting in different media that they intended to hit military targets and to avoid targeting civilians," the Hamas report stated, citing casualties from "incorrect (or imprecise) fire."
The request for independent investigations was made by the UN General Assembly last November and it gave both sides until February 5 to respond.
Israel also plans to ignore the demand for a full-fledged inquiry, according to Cabinet Minister Yuli Edelstein. The allegations of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity emerged from a UN commission headed by South African jurist Richard Goldstone that investigated the three-week war.
Israel did not rejected the Goldstone Report as biased and unfounded, claiming its actions were in self-defense, trying to stop years of almost daily rocket salvos from Gaza, and that it did everything it could to limit civilian casualties.
By rejecting calls for an independent inquiry, both Hamas and Israel could open themselves up to international war crimes proceedings.
