GENEVA — The European Union (EU) joined Palestinian and Arab delegations on Monday in calling on Israel to allow a U.N. human rights investigator to visit Gaza, while the United States and Israel snubbed the debate. Israel has not cooperated with special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono, who presented his first report to the Human Rights Council based on interviews with people in Amman and Cairo, or witnesses on video calls in Gaza.
His report urged Israel to investigate the killing of more than 1,500 Palestinian civilians, one third of them children, during the 2014 Gaza war. Israel says it launched its offensive after rocket attacks by militants operating out of the Hamas-ruled strip.
"We call on Israel to grant access to the Special Rapporteur without delay," EU policy officer Jerome Bellion-Jourdan told the Geneva forum. — Reuters
