UNHRC President Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Thailand appointed three international experts to serve on the mission, which was charged with investigating allegations of Israeli violations of international law when it forcefully boarded six humanitarian aid ships in international waters and shot dead nine passengers who resisted the attack.
The UNHRC called for the formation of a mission on 2 July, days after the raid.
“The expertise, independence and impartiality of the members of the mission will be devoted to clarifying the events which took place that day and their legality,” Phuangketkeow explained in a news conference following the appointment.
The UN body has yet to appoint a head-of-mission. Those who will serve on the committee include:
Judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips
A Cambridge University graduate from Trinidad and Tobago, former judge at the International Criminal Court of Justice, appointed in 2003 and part of the original team of legal professionals to draft the regulations of the international body. He was called to the Bar in England and Wales, as well as in his native country. Judge Hudson-Phillips was attorney general and minister of legal affairs of Trinidad and Tobago from 1969 to 1973.
Sir Desmond de Silva
As the UN Chief War Crimes Prosecutor in Sierra Leone beginning in 2002, the British-Sierra Leonian national was knighted in 2007 for his work in the fields of human rights, extradition, war crimes and terrorism laws. His chambers, Argent, says de Silva has an exceptional ability to "get to the heart of the matter, be it the evidence of a witness or a case." He is married to HRH Princess Katarina Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia.
Mary Shanthi Dairiam
Has been active in promoting women’s right to equality through law reform for decades. A Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women committee member between 2005-2008 in Malasyia, she also served as the director of the International Women Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific, where she was been a member since 1993. Currently, Dairiam serves on Malaysia's National Advisory Council on Women.
Israel says probe 'hasty'
Phuangketkeow called on all parties to cooperate with the investigation, which was immediately labeled as "hasty" by Israel's Foreign Ministry, with one official telling the Israeli daily Haaretz that the mission was "part of the Rights Council's obsession against Israel."
Ministry official told Haaretz that the UN probe was unnecessary and cited the transparency of an Israeli probe also looking into the incident.
An internal Israeli military investigation found no breaches of military code or law were made during the incident, and commended commandos who shot and killed nine civilians for bravery and swift thinking.
A second probe, the Tirkel Commission, got off to a slow start in mid-July following two court hearings after suits were filed by rights groups demanding that the probe be expanded and have access to military and government records. The commission was given an enlarged mandate and expanded from three members and two international observers, to six members plus the observers.
The UN mission
According the UN officials, the coming weeks will see the three experts map out their plan of action and contact relevant parties before they travel to the region.
The last UN-mandated fact-finding mission into accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Israeli forces and Gaza militant factions was refused access to Israel. Witnesses from Israel and the West Bank were flown to Geneva to deliver testimony, while Gaza residents and government officials cooperated with the investigation from the Strip.
The latest mission is expected to deliver its findings to the UN by September.
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