Goldstone Reconsidered

This paper focuses on the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission’s report on the Gaza Conflict that the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) purposely targeted civilians. A historical setting is given for the conflict followed by the process which the Goldstone Mission was conceived. The article continues with a discussion of what the Goldstone Mission found and concluded about the IDF operation and an examination of the critical issues the Goldstone Mission did not explore: Hamas’ strategic and tactical doctrine and the resulting operational environment confronted by Israel during the war. Finally, the paper concludes by briefly discussing some of the major institutional shortcomings in the current approach to international humanitarian law.