U.N. Sec. Council to Weigh Gaza War Crimes

The U.N. Human Rights Council has voted to refer a Gaza war crimes report to the Security Council, possibly setting up international prosecution of Israelis and Palestinians accused of war crimes.

The vote was 25 to 6 in favor of the resolution. Eleven countries abstained in the 47-nation body Friday.

The council approved the resolution after two days of debate over a report on last winter's war that was written by Judge Richard Goldstone and his team.

Israel and the United States have called the report "flawed" and warned that it could jeopardize the Middle East peace prospects. Almost 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis died during the Dec. 27-Jan. 18 conflict.

Israel immediately rejected the commission's report, calling it "one-sided, biased and therefore wrong."

The report became the focus of the Security Council's monthly Mideast meeting on Wednesday after an about-face by the Palestinians.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki and Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gabriela Shalev opened the council meeting Wednesday by trading accusations about the Goldstone report. The session ended Wednesday evening after nearly 50 speeches.