Gazans denied justice as rights take a beating

Gazans hoping for a modicum of justice following Israel's indiscriminate military assault on the coastal territory during December 2008 and January 2009 - which left 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, dead - could be waiting in vain. The Israeli government has taken the offensive in the propaganda battle and attacked United Nations-appointed Justice Richard Goldstone's report into war crimes committed during the war. The report alleges that Israel was responsible for the lion's share of human rights abuses. Following international censure and U.N. calls for independent inquiries to be carried out by both the Israeli government and Gaza's de facto Hamas government, Israel submitted a counter-report to the U.N. last weekend. Specific incidents during which Goldstone says civilians and civilian infrastructure were deliberately targeted were either justified or denied outright by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). However, two senior Israeli officers were brought before a disciplinary committee after they authorised the use of phosphorous on a U.N. facility sheltering 700 civilians. The IDF, however, refused to divulge what action was taken against the officers.