2006年VOA标准英语-UN to Investigate Alleged Human Rights Violatio

（单词翻译）

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
06 July 2006
 
The U.N. Human Rights Council has voted to send an urgent fact-finding mission to Gaza to investigate alleged¹ human rights violations³ there by Israel. At the end of a special session of the Council, members approved a resolution condemning⁵ Israel's military actions in Gaza by a vote of 29 to 11 and five abstentions.

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A wounded Palestinian man covered in dust from explosion is helped in his house following Israeli missile strike on Palestinian Interior Ministry⁶ in Gaza City, early Wednesday, July 5, 2006  
  
The resolution criticizes Israel for the arrest of Palestinian government ministers, other officials and civilians⁷. It condemns⁸ the military attacks against Palestinian ministries⁹, power plants, and bridges.

The text demands that Israel end its military operations in Gaza and refrain from imposing¹⁰ what it calls collective punishment on Palestinian civilians. It calls for a negotiated solution to the current crisis.

Canadian Representative Terry Cormier said his country voted against the resolution because it did not provide a balanced perspective on events in Gaza.

"This draft resolution focuses almost entirely¹¹ on Israel, while ignoring that party's legitimate¹² security concerns," he said. "It also fails to acknowledge that the Palestinian Authority has the responsibility to prevent the constant firing of rockets into Israel, to resolve the present hostage-taking crisis and to prevent the reoccurrence of such criminal acts." 

Relatives cry in family home during funeral of Palestinian killed in Israeli attack in Gaza City, July 6, 2006   
  
Pakistan's Ambassador, Masood Khan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, expressed his dismay. He said he could not understand how any country could vote against the resolution in the face of the escalation¹³ and violation² of human rights in the territory.

"The crisis, Mr. President, is serious," he said. "A provocation¹⁴ does not justify¹⁵ disproportionate use of force against civilians and non-combatants in contravention of the Geneva Conventions."

John Dugard is the Special U.N. Investigator¹⁶ who will be going to Gaza. He presented a report to the Council at the beginning of the session in which he accused Israel of collective punishment. He also criticized Israel for violating the prohibition¹⁷ on measures of intimidation¹⁸ and terrorism in its actions in Gaza.

The Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Itzhak Levanon, accused the Council of double standards and of vilifying¹⁹ his country.

"Allow me to remind our august Council that the current crisis on which we are meeting today was not initially²⁰ provoked by the Israeli incursion into Gaza," he said. "It was triggered by the attack on our sovereign territory by Palestinian terrorist groups with the aim of sowing death."

Levanon told the Council Israel left Gaza last summer of its own free will and did not intend to return there this summer. He said the Council had to condemn⁴ the Palestinian terrorist actions, if it did not want to fall into disrepute as had its predecessor²¹, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights.