By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is planning to enter Gaza to conduct a United Nations investigation into the killing of 19 Palestinian by Israeli shells. After 18 months of being denied a visa by Israel, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is expected to cross the border at Rafah via Egypt.
The Archbishop is intending to visit the scene of the incident in which Israeli forces fired an artillery barrage into the Gazan town of Beit Hanoun early one morning in November 2006.
The first shell hit a crowded house, causing members of the Athamneh family to run out into an alley, where they were cut down by further shells. Almost all the dead were from the same family, with the youngest being an eight-month old girl.
The Israeli army carried out its own investigation but found earlier this year that the incident was an accident, and held no individual to account for the deaths. Palestinian human rights campaigners were incensed by the finding.
Mr Tutu's trip represents a major showdown between the Jewish state and the UN Human Rights Council, which commissioned his inquiry weeks after the incident – only for his applications to Israel for a visa to be repeatedly delayed.
The Israeli authorities gave no explanation for the delays but it is known Israel has problems with the human rights council because of its constant focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli government sources have accused the council of being politicised and biased for ignoring other human rights violations such as Darfur, while repeatedly censuring Israel.
Despite this, Israel did not prevent Louise Arbour, the then-UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, from visiting the scene of the killings a few weeks after the incident.
Mr Tutu's report is to be delivered to this September's session of the human rights council.
Source:
Telegraph News
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