(Communicated by the Deputy Foreign Minister's Bureau)

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely issued the following initial reaction to the Commission of Inquiry Report on the 2014 Gaza Conflict:
 
"From the outset, the purpose of this report was to vilify the State of Israel and the IDF, with the ultimate aim of undermining Israel’s right to defend its citizens from attack.
 
The Human Rights Council is a body which has completely discredited itself through its obsessive and prejudicial preoccupation with Israel, whilst turning a blind eye to genuine violations of human rights around the world.
 
The State of Israel and the IDF scrupulously abide by the highest standards of international law. Israel’s robust legal system ensures strict oversight of military operations. The measures Israel took during the Gaza Conflict to protect the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians are without parallel among other military forces.
 
Israel is exceptionally proud of its principled conduct and will maintain its unswerving commitment to human rights and international law, irrespective of the well-orchestrated campaign to besmirch its name."