Beit Hanoun shelling possible war crime according to UN fact finding mission

The UN fact finding mission to Beit Hanoun, established under the Human Rights Council, found that Israel's shelling of the Gaza village of Beit Hanoun in November 2006 that killed 19 Palestinian civilians may constitute a war crime and that victims should receive compensation.

The report states that:

"[i]n the absence of a well-founded explanation from the Israeli military [...] the mission must conclude that there is a possibility that the shelling of Beit Hanoun constituted a war crime."

The fact-finding mission was headed by South African Archbishop and Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu.

Mission mandated in 2006

The fact finding mission was mandated by the Human Rights Council in November 2006 to investigate the shelling incident but only managed to visit Gaza via Egypt in May 2008 after the Israelis had refused the mission three previous attempts to enter the Gaza Strip via their territory.

This mission further recommends that:

“the State of Israel pay victims adequate compensation without delay."