U.N. war crimes inquiry hopes to visit Gaza early June

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"A United Nations inquiry team said on Wednesday it hopes to visit Gaza and southern Israel in early June and aims to hold public hearings in the region on whether war crimes were committed there in the recent conflict.

Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist who heads the four-member team, said Israel has not yet officially responded to its request to enter the country for the investigation into its invasion of Gaza in late December.

But the team was prepared to enter the coastal strip via the Rafah crossing in Egypt, a "second choice," he said.

"One decision we have taken is we will have a number of days of public hearings. If we can in the region, so much the better, and if necessary we will have them in Geneva," Goldstone told reporters in the Swiss city after the team held talks with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

According to a Palestinian rights group, 1,417 people including 926 civilians were killed during the Dec. 27-Jan. 18 offensive in the Hamas-ruled territory.

The inquiry team appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council is to report back by August 4. It will also to probe allegations that Hamas fighters fired rockets at civilian targets in southern Israel.

Goldstone, a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor, said he had made a direct approach to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be able to enter Israel but had received no official reponse to date. However, he said he was aware of media reports last month that Israel did not plan to cooperate."

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Where Commander AWOL now hides out, having abandoned his phony Potemkin 'ranch."