Israel rejects independent inquiry into Gaza war

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JERUSALEM, Sept 16 (AP): Israel said Wednesday it would not appoint an independent inquiry into its conduct in the Gaza Strip war, rejecting a key recommendation from an explosive U.N. report that accused the Jewish state of war crimes.
The report by U.N.-appointed investigators said Israel used disproportionate firepower and disregarded the likelihood of civilian deaths in last winter's offensive, which killed hundreds of people and caused widespread damage to Gaza.
The report, released Tuesday, also urged Israel to conduct an independent investigation into its war conduct or face the prospect of referring the case to international war crimes prosecutors.