Shalev: Humanitarian report biased
Israeli ambassador to UN files complaint to secretary-general over human rights report she says ignores Hamas' open declaration of targeting Israeli civilians, using Palestinians as human shields. UN Security Council to discuss report, Israel's alleged violation of international law on Friday 

Yitzhak Benhorin
June 26, 2009
Ynet
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WASHINGTON - Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev filed a harsh complaint with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over a report published by a UN agency on humanitarian affairs, that she said was selective and political.
 
The report will serve a base for a session to be held Friday evening at the United Nations Security Council on Israel's alleged violations of international law. 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report on protection of civilians in armed conflicts stated that http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3377113,00.html \t _blank Hamas fighters allegedly use civilians' homes as bases from which they carry out assaults, and there is a possibility that Hamas fighters may have used schools and hospitals to carry out assaults. 
 
Shalev said this report is biased and ignores groups and organizations that mock the concept of safeguarding areas with a civilian population. 
 
In her complaint, the ambassador wrote that the OCHA's report is nothing more than a selective choice of facts. While Hamas openly states that it is pointing its weapons at Israeli civilians and using Palestinians as human shields, she said, the writers of this report see fit to doubt this. 
 
Shalev said the report completely ignored the solid evidence against Hamas, that has publicly and proudly declared its purpose of targeting the Israeli civilians and the fact that it uses populated areas in Gaza as a hiding place. 
 
The complaint came just before a Security Council session on the controversial report, that presents http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3284752,00.html%20 \t _blank Israel as a systematic human rights violator, and even raises major suspicions of violation of international humanitarian laws. 

 
The report's conclusions also addressed the toll the Palestinian population is paying due to Israeli activity, including the hundreds of checkpoints, roads and tunnels that limit their freedom of movement, and the settlements that force them to seek alternative lands. 
 
Despite the harsh criticism, Israel annually donates large sums of money to the OCHA, which has been operating in the Jewish state for the past eight years. 
 
Israel claimed that ever since http://www.ynetnews.com/home/0,7340,L-7022,00.html Operation Cast Leadin Gaza, the organization has taken are harsh political tone, that is notable in this one-sided report.