News Digest

Israel opens investigations into Gaza war as EU warns violence could return

Israel’s military said on Wednesday that it had opened five criminal investigations into its Gaza war operations, including attacks that killed four Palestinian children on a beach and 17 people at a U.N. school. The internal inquiries could help Israel challenge the work of a U.N. Human Rights Council commission of inquiry into possible war crimes committed by its forces and Palestinian militants in the 50-day conflict in July and August. Israel has long accused the 47-member state council of being biased against it and says Hamas Islamists bear ultimate responsibility for Palestinian civilian casualties.

Common sense has it that a body cannot investigate itself.

Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of Btselem to The New York Times

The European Union warned Wednesday that violence could reignite in Gaza within “months” if Israel and Hamas fail to consolidate a fragile cease-fire through serious talks. The EU has pushed for indirect talks to resume between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas that controls Gaza after the initial cease-fire was agreed to on Aug. 26. Israel agreed as part of the initial cease-fire to immediately ease restrictions on the entry of goods, humanitarian aid and construction materials into Gaza. But Hamas has already indicated it intends to rearm, and Israel has said it will reject the port and airport demand.

It’s essential that we use the next four weeks to actually come to … understandings.

John Gatt-Rutter, EU envoy to the West Bank and Gaza