UN official calls for ICC inquiry into Israeli war crimes in Lebanon

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council special representative on the "right to food" said yesterday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should investigate whether Israel is guilty of war crimes for a bombing campaign in Lebanon that blocked access to food and water.

Jean Ziegler said in a 18-page report that Israeli bombing of farmland and blockade of Lebanon's ports in its month-long war (September-August), the main farming and fishing season, caused considerable hardship to the Lebanese that was still being felt.

"The Israeli regime should be held responsible under international law for violations of the right to food of the Lebanese civilian population," he said in his report made available to reporters.

"Individuals should be held responsible for violations of the right to food and water." Ziegler said.

He said the contamination of fishing waters by an oil slick and the presence of hundreds of thousands of cluster bomblets in the south of Lebanon would have a "long-term impact on livelihoods and access to food and water."

Ziegler cited a Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture estimate that the conflict caused direct losses to farming of several hundred million dollars.

Ziegler first was appointed by the commission in 2000 and was given a second three-year mandate in 2003, which was taken over by the council.

The Human Rights Council envoy who visited southern Lebanon last in the course of Israeli invasion of Lebanon last September is vocal critic of Israeli violation of human rights against both Lebanese and Palestinian people.

He compared the Gaza strip to Israeli concentration camp last year.