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UN Report on Gaza: Improvement over Goldstone, But NGO Reliance Hurts Credibility
(NGO Monitor) The report of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the 2014 Gaza war, like the 2009 Goldstone Report, quotes extensively from biased and unreliable political advocacy NGOs. By repeating the unverified allegations of such groups, the UN investigation is irrevocably tarnished. These NGOs were referenced, cited, and quoted at a high volume: B'Tselem had 69 citations, followed by Amnesty International (53), Palestinian Center for Human Rights (50), and Al Mezan (29). These groups are not appropriate for professional fact-finding. Anne Herzberg, NGO Monitor's legal advisor, noted, "The COI makes numerous assertions about feasible precautions, identification of military objectives, military necessity, and standards applied by reasonable commanders. In at least four independent studies by military experts...all concluded that not only did Israel exceed the requirements of international law in the Gaza conflict but that its precautionary efforts to protect civilians were unprecedented in the history of warfare."