Des Travers on war crimes investigation

Local resident Lieut-Colonel Des Travers spoke at length on 'The News at One' RTE Radio News programme today about his investigation of war crimes during the most recent war between Hamas and the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza.

Des had been part of a UN Human Rights Council investigation sent to interview people affected by the three week war, which took place at the turn of the year, after which Israeli, Palestinian, and international human rights groups reported that more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed, including more than 700 civilians.

The UN team was led by former South African judge Richard Goldstone. He said they had found that there was strong evidence to establish that numerous serious violations of international law, both humanitarian law and human rights law, were committed by Israel during the military operations in Gaza.

“The mission concluded that actions amounting to war crimes and possibly, in some respects, crimes against humanity, were committed by the Israel Defense Force,” he said.

Their report has been criticised as 'unimpartial' by the US and Israel. Des was also part of a mission that reported on alleged war crime acts during the last Israeli attack on Lebanon.