UN committee starts assessing postwar queries in Gaza

    GAZA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A committee（委员会） of independent experts, tasked by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), started on Sunday meetings and tours in the Gaza Strip to assess postwar investigations²（调查） by concerning parties to the conflict.
    The committee arrived in Gaza on Saturday, planned to spend three days seeing Palestinian victims of the Israeli military operation that took place between December 2008 and January 2009.
    The committee's mandate³ is to see how the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority (PNA), the Hamas movement and Israel deal with the recommendations of a UN fact-finding mission led by South African Justice Richard Goldstone.
    In Gaza, the committee started its work by meeting representatives(代表,众议院) from local rights groups and families whose cases were raised in the Goldstone's report.
    Raji al-Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), said his foundation had showed the committee " hundreds of cases of Palestinian victims whom Israel refused to investigate or tried to compensate⁴."About 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the three-week offensive(攻击,冒犯) and tens of thousands of houses suffered various degrees of damage. On the other side, three Israeli civilians⁵ were killed by rockets Hamas fired from Gaza.
    The Goldstone report found that Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.
    Israel and the Hamas have conducted investigations into the violations⁶ the Goldstone report highlighted for two times and the second versions of the investigations were handed to the UN in July. The PNA also submitted a report to the secretary-general.
    Israel "has not carried out any fair investigation¹," said al- Sourani, calling on the international community to investigate " Israel's crimes through the International Criminal Court."On the other hand, Hamas has not shown the result of any serious investigation and there is no word on any disciplinary measures against its fighters who fired rockets into Israel during the war.
    The committee is scheduled to meet Hamas authorities in Gaza on Monday. Earlier this month, it met the PNA in Ramallah while Israel refused to cooperate with the committee.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。