'UN inquiry on Gaza war crimes seeks delay to June'

An independent UN inquiry into possible war crimes committed by all sides during the Gaza conflict last year has asked to postpone publication of their report from March until June to "weigh further information", a UN statement said on Monday.

Their report on violations by Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza during the July-August conflict was due to be issued to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 23.

In a statement, Council President Joachim Ruecker said that he backed the request for a deferral to June 2015 to finalise the report. The commission of inquiry's former chairman, William Schabas, stepped down last month after Israeli allegations of bias due to consultancy work he did for the Palestine Liberation Organisation. Israel has called for the report to be shelved.

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