Global Issues
Q&A: 'Gaza Will Not Be Sidelined'
Six months after Israel's devastating air and ground assault on the Gaza Strip, Ambassador Riyad Mansour of the Palestinian Observer Mission to the United Nations says he will 'keep up the pressure on all fronts until the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable and reparations are made by Israel'.
A 184-page internal U.N. report by a Board of Inquiry (BOI) critical of Israeli attacks on U.N. personnel and buildings during the three-week conflict was redacted down to a 27-page summary document released early this month. U.N. officials have refused to release the full report apparently due to political sensitivities and on security grounds.
IPS U.N. correspondent Sherazad Hamit spoke with Mansour about Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision not to request any further investigation of Israeli attacks on U.N. facilities in Gaza, and more recently, the Security Council’s decision not to pursue its own broader inquiry into potential war crimes. The conflict cost the lives of nearly 1,500 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.
Excerpts from the interview follow.
IPS: In light of the fact that the secretary-general says he will not launch any further inquiries into Israeli military operations in Gaza, what are the steps the Permanent Mission - in consultation with local Gazan authorities or separately has taken to ensure the incidents mentioned in the BOI are investigated and reported on in a transparent fashion?
RIYAD MANSOUR: The secretary-general has stated clearly that he intends to pursue certain issues directly, including the matter of reparations that must be made to the U.N. by Israel for the damage and destruction caused, in some cases deliberately, to U.N. premises in the Gaza Strip.
A fact-finding commission established by the Human Rights Council, headed by Justice Richard Goldstone, will carry out a wide-scale investigation of violations of international humanitarian law during Israel’s war on Gaza early this year. The secretary-general has indicated his full support for this fact-finding commission.
The Palestinian leadership remains in close contact with U.N. institutions in Gaza. The presence [of institutions] assisted the BOI in its investigation and we expect that if Israel does not obstruct the commission's work, a comprehensive investigation would uncover Israeli crimes committed during the war.
The Palestinian leadership has worked and will continue to work tirelessly and on all fronts to ensure that those who committed war crimes against the defenseless civilian population in Gaza are held accountable and brought to justice. Significant resources and efforts of the Palestinians leadership have been dedicated to that goal.
IPS: Is there sufficient consultation with Palestinian authorities regarding the Board's recommendations, or have they been largely sidelined?
RM: The BOI consulted with the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah during the course of the investigation. On the issue of follow-up, we are already meeting with UN officials; I personally met Mr. B. Lynn Pascoe, under-secretary-general for political affairs. I raised the issue of compensation for the damages to U.N. buildings, which the BOI puts at over 10 million dollars.
Additionally, with regard to the loss of civilian life at UN premises, it is my understanding that the UN Legal Department and UNRWA will gather the details in order to quantify the losses for compensation to families. We will continue to follow-up on these issues at all levels in the UN and not allow for them to be sidelined.
IPS: What is the status of talks on addressing the critical issues of arms smuggling, humanitarian aid delivery and recovery and reconstruction efforts?
RM: The inhumane blockade Israel continues to impose on Gaza should be brought to an end without delay. [It] is illegal and constitutes collective punishment. Such punitive measures have plunged the population in Gaza into deeper poverty, malnutrition, economic ruin and intense despair.
In addition to calling for the unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance, including food, medicines and fuel, we call for unobstructed flows of people and goods, including commercial goods and the construction materials. Regrettably, no reconstruction work has begun yet as Israel continues to refuse [the entry of] materials into the Strip.
Exports, which remain at zero, must resume. People [must be allowed] to pursue the livelihoods that they have been denied by this suffocating siege. The 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access between the Palestinian Authority and Israel provides the framework to operationalise the border crossings and should be implemented immediately.
We are not involved in the arms smuggling issue but we maintain that this allegation is a pretext used by Israel to maintain its punitive and illegal blockade on Gaza.
IPS: Since Israel has refused to cooperate with the Human Rights Council commission to investigate Gaza killings, what purpose, in your view, does the Council serve?
RM: We believe the HRC is a credible and reliable body that can expose the extent of Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians, including those during the last aggression against Gaza. We will continue to apply pressure to allow the investigation of the HRC fact-finding commission to proceed unimpeded. Whether Israel cooperates or not, we are confident this commission will finalise its work.
We will also work to make sure that the Security Council, General Assembly and Secretariat address these serious crimes and uphold their responsibilities. Israel’s continued refusal to cooperate with the Council will serve as evidence of its guilt [and] blatant disdain towards international law and the U.N. Such a stance should galvanise the international community to ensure that no state is permitted to act above international law and with impunity.
IPS: As the Security Council does not wish to move on a draft resolution recently submitted by Libya that strongly condemns Israeli actions during the war, what next?
RM: The Council, which expressed its concern at the findings of the [BOI] report, requested to be kept abreast of developments [and] therefore remains engaged in this matter. We will continue to work with the Council in order to take additional measures in case of Israeli non-compliance.
We will continue to work on all fronts including through the Security Council, General Assembly, International Criminal Court and relevant agencies to ensure those who committed heinous crimes against the Palestinian people are brought to justice.
© Inter Press Service (2009) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service