New York - Arab countries on Wednesday heaped condemnation on Israel for the massive destruction and high casualties incurred during its conflict with Hamas earlier this year in the Gaza Strip. They clashed with Israeli UN Ambassador Gabriela Shalev, who single-handedly faced the Arab and Non-aligned Movement blocs during the UN General Assembly's debate on a controversial report on the Gaza fighting.
The report was drawn up by a four-member commission headed by South African Judge Richard Goldstone, which accused both sides of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Arab and Non-Aligned Movement countries urged adoption of the so- called Goldstone report. They introduced a draft resolution for that effect.
The report blamed both Israel and Hamas for the deaths of 1,400 Palestinians and 10 Israelis during the December-January conflict.
The UN debate in New York was held after the US House of Representatives late Tuesday adopted a resolution with a 344-36 vote condemning the Goldstone report as one-sided. It called on the US government to oppose any further consideration of the report in multilateral fora.
Egyptian Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz, leader of the 119-nation Non- Aligned Movement at UN headquarters in New York, condemned the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conflict.
"Nothing justifies a policy of collective punishment of a people under occupation, destroying their means to live a dignified life," Abdelaziz said.
The Organization of Islamic Countries, represented by Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari, complained that the humanitarian and human rights situation in Gaza has worsened for the Palestinians "living under illegitimate occupation ... under terror and fear."
"The UN inability to bring Israel under the umbrella of international law has, unfortunately, harmed the image of the UN in the Islamic world, especially with the daily desecration of our holy places in al-Qud al-Sharif (Jerusalem)," he said.
Israeli ambassador Shalev denounced the 192-nation assembly for staging an unrealistic debate.
"Rather than discuss how to better stop terrorist groups who deliberately target civilians, this body launches yet another campaign against the victims of terrorism, the people of Israel," Shalev said.
"The report before you was conceived in hate and executed in sin," she said. "From its inception in a one-sided mandate, the Gaza fact- finding mission was a politicized body with predetermined conclusions."
Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour told the assembly that the situation in Gaza for its 1.5 million inhabitants remains "untenable and unacceptable" because of the continuing Israeli blockade.
The debate was to hear more than 45 speakers and end with the Arab and non-aligned countries pushing for the adoption of the draft. Israel and the United States have strongly rejected the Goldstone report, branding it biased against Israel and deeply flawed.
UN spokesman Jean-Victor Nkolo said the assembly may continue the debate on Thursday because of the high number of speakers.
