Amsterdam - Israel and the Palestinians should each investigate whether war crimes and human rights violations took place during the Gaza War in 2008, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen (Christian Democrats) told parliament Tuesday. Verhagen made his remarks during a debate about the findings of the Gaza War report by Richard Goldstone.
In his United Nations fact-finding mission released earlier this month, Goldstone found that both Israel and Palestinian militant groups committed war crimes and acts that were likely crimes against humanity during the three weeks of fighting in late December and January.
Verhagen said he would request the UN Human Rights council in Geneva to push for a resolution urging that both sides investigate the Gaza war.
He added it would however not be necessary to present Goldstone's report to the UN Security Council, as "this would not serve the peace process nor the interest of the Gaza War victims."
A parliamentary majority supported the government position demanding a new investigation by both sides, but also expressed their doubt that either side would do so.
Verhagen said he does not support a prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, as requested by the second-largest coalition party Labour and the leftist opposition Socialist and Greens parties.
Previously, Goldstone, the South African former chief prosecutor of the Rwanda and Yugoslavia war crimes tribunals, said if the two sides did not properly investigate their actions during the war, the matter should be handed over to the ICC.
Earlier during the day Goldstone presented his report on alleged war crimes during the last major conflict in the Gaza Strip to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
