US envoy pressing for Israeli colony curtailment

Occupied Jerusalem: The US special ambassador to the Middle East is staying in the region an extra day to press Israel to curb its colony expansion.

US ambassador George Mitchell had tried to reach an agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, but no breakthroughs were announced.

He will make another, previously unscheduled try on Wednesday.

The US and the Palestinians have demanded a complete colony freeze in the West Bank and east of Occupied Jerusalem. Palestinians claim those lands as part of a future state.


Israel rejects independent inquiry into Gaza war

Occupied Jerusalem: Israel is rejecting a call to launch an independent inquiry into its conduct in the Gaza Strip war.

That proposal was raised by UN-appointed investigators who concluded that Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers both committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The investigating team issued its findings on Tuesday. Israel promptly rejected the conclusions as biased.

Israel's military is still conducting its own investigations into the troops' conduct in Gaza. So far, it has cleared itself of wrongdoing.

Government spokesman Mark Regev said Wednesday that Israel doesn't need to conduct an independent inquiry.

He says the military probes are open to review by Israel's independent judiciary and can be appealed.