Israel has shown "active obstruction" in Oct. 7 investigation, UN says

A United Nations (UN) mandated commission of inquiry that probes violations of international human rights law accused Israel on Tuesday of actively obstructing its efforts to collect evidence from the victims of the attack by Hamas in southern Israel on Oct. 7. "So far as the government of Israel is concerned, we have not only seen a lack of cooperation, but active obstruction of our efforts to receive evidence from Israeli witnesses and victims to the events that occurred in southern Israel," said Chris Sidoti, one of three members of a commission of inquiry into abuses committed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. He also appealed to the government of Israel — as well as victims and witnesses of the attack — to aid the commission in conducting its probe. In response to Sidoti's comments, the Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva said it had been carrying out its own investigation into the crimes and said that representatives of the UN and other institutions have been to Israel and met with survivors and victims.