JERUSALEM (JTA) — The United Nations is preparing to investigate the targeting of its schools in Gaza during Israel’s recent operation in Gaza, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
Several U.N. workers were killed in airstrikes on the schools, which were housing internally displaced Palestinians. The United Nations found weapons stored by Gaza terror groups in at least three U.N. schools.
The investigation is separate from a U.N. Human Rights Council panel investigating possible war crimes committed by Israel during the 50 days of Operation Protective Edge, Ban told the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat newspaper.
Israel has said soldiers were responding to rocket fire emanating from next to or inside the schools’ yards.
The investigation would not begin until the end of the Human Rights Council investigation led by Canadian judge William Schabas.
Ban told the newspaper that he already told the Israelis about the future probe, which will look into “the killing and wounding of United Nations personnel and the destruction of its facilities and to hold accountable those responsible,” as well as to investigate the storage of weapons in some of the facilities.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
