U.N. Assembly accepts Goldstone Report

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The U.N. General Assembly has called on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to investigate the alleged Gaza war crimes detailed in the Goldstone Report.

Richard Goldstone, a South African judge and former human rights investigator, reported Hamas and Israel both targeted civilians before and during Israel's invasion of Gaza in December. While Goldstone, a Jewish supporter of Israel, criticized Hamas, which effectively controls Gaza, for firing rockets at communities in southern Israel, he was far tougher on Israel.

The General Assembly passed the resolution 118-14 Thursday, with the United States and Israel voting against it, The Christian Science Monitor reported. Alejandro Wolff, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, described the Goldstone Report as "deeply flawed" with an "unbalanced focus on Israel."

About 1,300 Palestinians died during the three weeks of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, while Israeli deaths are put at 14.

The resolution also asked the secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, to submit the report to the Security Council.