On November 10, 2014 the UN Secretary-General announced the establishment of "an internal and independent United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry into certain incidents that occurred in the Gaza Strip between 8 July and 26 August 2014" that "will review and investigate a number of specific incidents in which death or injuries occurred at, and/or damage was done to United Nations premises."
The Board is also charged with "investigating incidents in which weapons were found to be present on United Nations premises." The "UN premises" are the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools where rockets were found on 3 occasions last summer. At least once, the weapons were returned to the owner and would-be user of the weapons, Hamas.
Throughout the war, UNRWA never condemned Hamas' firing rockets from in and around its facilities, or any other locations such as residential areas, hospital parking lots, and hotels. On the contrary, on one occasion UNRWA went so far as to accuse Israel of targeting civilians sheltering in a school when in fact those deaths were caused by a Hamas rocket that fell short of its Israeli target. And on another occasion UNRWA accused Israel of targeting a shelter and civilians when in reality terrorists outside the facility were hit and civilian bodies possibly planted at the scene.
In addition, in the midst of the war UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness encouraged reporters to interview a professor with a history of supporting terror attacks against Jewish civilians. In July 2014 Gunness tweeted:
- "Great interviewee @ Shifa Hosp Gaza right now Prof Mads Gilbert +4790878740 call him 4 fatality & cas figs and atoms RT."
Every one of the five individuals now appointed by the UN Secretary-General to investigate the events involving the UN itself, are current or former UN officials - raising serious doubt about their impartiality.
Patrick Cammaert (Netherlands) served as Sector Commander in Cambodia (UNTAC), Assistant Chief of Staff in Bosnia/Herzegovina (UNPROFOR), Force Commander in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), Military Advisor to the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO), and General Officer Commanding the Eastern Division in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).
Maria Vicien-Milburn (Argentina) is currently the General Counsel of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Pierre Lemelin (Canada) is a senior program manager with the UN Mine Action Service, which serves "as the UN focal point for mine action."
K. C. Reddy (India) is a former UN security advisor for Syria.
Lee O'Brien (United States) worked in the Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations.