UN panel to probe Israel’s Gaza bombing

May 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Friday included two more former police officers in a special panel it constituted last year to probe crucial cases of the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat Former Central Bureau of Investigation special director Paramveer Singh and former CBI DIG A.K. Malhotra have been appointed to the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

March 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Monday denied a copy of the special enquiry report on the post-Godhra carnage to the National Human Right Commission (NHRC), on whose plea the apex court had last year formed an investigative panel to probe the 2001 Gujarat communal riots. A bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat summarily brushed aside the NHRC counsel Sanjay Parekh's plea for a copy of the report.

February 4th, 2009 UNITED NATIONS - The UN will constitute a three-member panel to investigate the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, a spokesperson of the global organisation announced Wednesday. A letter from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been sent to the Security Council president informing him of his (Ban's) intention to establish a three-member commission of inquiry to probe the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Marie Okabe told reporters at the UN headquarters.

January 19th, 2009 GAZA - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Gaza Tuesday afternoon to evaluate the ground situation following the Israeli military offensive in the salient. His convoy crossed into the Gaza Strip through Erez border crossing between northern Gaza Strip and Israel.

January 17th, 2009 TEL AVIV - Israel's unilaterally-declared cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip entered into effect at 2 a.m. (0000 GMT) Sunday, in accordance with the announcement by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert several hours earlier.

January 17th, 2009 TEHRAN - A senior official at Iran's presidential office Sunday said that the unilateral ceasefire announced by Israel in Gaza was an admission of defeat, IRNA reported. Ali-Reza Zaker Isfahani, chairman of the Strategic Studies, said Israel's unilateral ceasefire indicated its absolute defeat.

January 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has named a three-member panel to probe the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The committee will be allowed to exchange information directly with Indian investigation agencies, media reports said Thursday.

January 14th, 2009 LACARNA - Peace activists abandoned an attempt reach Gaza with a ship loaded with aid for Gaza's Palestinians early Tuesday and returned to Cyprus, a spokesman of Free Gaza, a US NGO, told Greek radio Thursday. Their ship, Arion, was urged by Israeli warships about 80 nautical miles off Gaza via loudspeaker and radio several times to leave the region, as the sea's off Gaza were off limits, the activists said.

January 13th, 2009 JERUSALEM - A senior Israeli defence official will visit Egypt Wednesday for talks over a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a media report said. Amos Gilad, head of the Diplomatic Security Bureau of Israel's defence ministry, is scheduled to meet Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman for facilitating a talk with Hamas, Ynet news service reported.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress party Friday condemned the invasion of Gaza by Israel and demanded that the Israeli action must be stopped with immediate effect. 'The Indian National Congress condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the land invasion of Gaza by Israel which has resulted in a grave humanitarian catastrophe.

January 6th, 2009 TEL AVIV - Israel plans to establish a 'humanitarian corridor' to get needed supplies to Palestinian civilians in the embattled Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced overnight Tuesday. The plan would allow limited time windows to get humanitarian supplies into parts of the Palestinian territory, Ynetnews reported online, citing the prime minister's office.

January 6th, 2009 CARACAS - The Venezuelan government has expelled Israel's envoy to the country over attacks on Gaza by Israeli military that left at least 600 people dead, EFE reported. Shlomo Cohen and his staff were expelled Tuesday in a protest over the deaths caused by Israeli military offensives in Gaza, the report said.

January 3rd, 2009 PARIS - The French government late Saturday sharply criticized Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, saying it 'complicated' peace efforts. 'France condemns Israel's ground offensive against Gaza just as it condemns the continued rocket attacks' by Hamas against Israel, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

January 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Friday pledged $1 million to a UN agency for providing relief to civilians in the Gaza Strip who have been badly affected by the Israeli air strikes and again urged for resumption of peace process in the region. In response to the flash appeal made by United Nations Refugee Welfare Agency (UNRWA), the Indian government has decided to extend an assistance of $1 million for use by the agency to provide shelters, cash assistance, essential household items etc., to affected families in Gaza, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said here.

December 30th, 2008 CAIRO - The head of the Arab League urged the United Nations Security Council Wednesday to take immediate action to stop Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip. 'We urge the Security Council not to fall under any pressure and take an immediate decision to stop the Israeli attacks on Gaza,' said Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa at the opening of an emergency meeting of the body.