UN investigators accused in a report on Wednesday, June 12, Israel and seven “Palestinian armed groups”including Hamas, of having committed war crimes since October 7. “It is imperative that all those who committed crimes are held accountable”declared Navi Pillay, who chairs this commission of inquiry created by the Human Rights Council in May 2021.
She also judges that Israeli authorities “are responsible” of “crimes against humanity of extermination, murder, gender-based persecution targeting Palestinian men and boys, forcible transfer, acts of torture and inhumane and cruel treatment”. Follow our live stream.
Israel denounces “systematic discrimination” against it. The UN commission of inquiry “has proven once again that his actions are all in service of a political agenda focused against Israel”castigated Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Meirav Shahar.
The United States is “examining” Hamas’ response to a ceasefire plan. “We have received the response that Hamas gave to Qatar and Egypt, and we are reviewing it”, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters about the Gaza truce plan. In the aftermath, a Hamas leader, Izzat al-Rishq, issued a brief statement to assert that the response was both “responsible, serious and positive” and that she “opened the way to an agreement”.
New bombings in Gaza. Israeli strikes continue, early Wednesday, to target different sectors of the Gaza Strip, after deadly bombings the day before in the center of the territory where the Israeli army says it has “completed an operation” in eastern Deir al-Balah and eastern al-Boureij.
Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon. Lhe Lebanese Shiite movement, ally of Hamas, claims that one of its commanders, Taleb Sami Abdalla, was killed Tuesday evening in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. Without directly commenting on this strike, the Israeli army admitted to having carried out bombings on Tuesday in an area of southern Lebanon from where Hezbollah had launched in the morning “around 50 rockets”.