UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Thirteenth Session 1 – 26 March 2010   Joint written statement by Adalah - The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel; Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association;Al Mezan; AL-Dameer Association for Human Rights-Gaza; Al-Haq; Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA); Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights; International Committee of the National Lawyers Guild; Palestinian Center for Human Rights; Physicians for Human Rights-Israel; The Gaza Community Mental Health Program; The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions; The National Center for Community Rehabilitation; Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Councelling (WCLAC).
1.
The UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Mission), determined that Israel and Palestinian armed groups committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The UN called on both parties to take all steps to launch appropriate independent investigations in conformity with international standards.
In resolution S-12/1, the HRC also stressed the urgent need to ensure accountability for all violations of international law to prevent further violations.
2.
Under international law, proper investigations into suspected violations of international law must be independent, impartial, effective, transparent and prompt.
However, the information and material available suggest that the domestic investigations carried out by the parties to the conflict have not met these standards.