Israel Snubs UNHRC 'Kangaroo Court' as Ban Ki-Moon Outraged over Hamas Rockets in Schools

Israel has snubbed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) calling its remarks as those of a "kangaroo court" even as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed outrage over the discovery of rockets stashed by Hamas in schools.

Shortly after the chief of the UN rights body, Navi Pillay, commented that the Israeli aggression in the ongoing battle with Hamas in Gaza could be tantamount to war crimes, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the observation in a statement, saying: "This investigation by a kangaroo court is a foregone conclusion."

"Rather than investigate Hamas, which is committing a double war crime by firing rockets at Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians, the UNHRC calls for an investigation of Israel."

It added that Pillay's comments would embolden Hamas and other outfits to increasingly use civilians as human shields in war.

Pillai earlier said: "There seems to be a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes."

Meanwhile, Ban has expressed serious concern after it was found that Hamas had hidden rockets and other weapons in schools and UN shelters in Palestine.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had previously reported: "Today, in the course of the regular inspection of its premises, UNRWA discovered rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza Strip.

"As soon as the rockets were discovered, UNRWA staff were withdrawn from the premises, and so we are unable to confirm the precise number of rockets."

A statement from the UN chief's spokesperson said Ban "expresses his outrage and regret at the placing of weapons in an UN-administered school".

"By doing so, those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children, UN employees working in such facilities and anyone using the UN schools as shelter."