The head of a U.N. probe that accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza Strip, Richard Goldstone, has said he is disappointed there has been such a "lukewarm" reaction to his report by the United States. The Goldstone report, criticized both sides in the December-January war. It gave Israel and Hamas six months to mount credible investigations or face possible prosecution in The Hague. Both Israel and Hamas denied committing war crimes.

"The reactions in the international community were very mixed, but the lukewarm from the United States disappointed me," Goldstone told das Parlament, a weekly political newspaper published by Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. "The fact that the reactions from Israel were so violent really surprised me at times," he added.

© 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)