Gaza war probe ‘operational’ as Clooney’s fiancée quits

The president of the UN top human rights body says the commission on possible violations of the rules of war in Gaza is "operational" despite the decision by George Clooney’s fiancée to pull out of the panel.

British-Lebanese lawyer Amal Alamuddin, who is engaged to marry the 53-year-old actor, decided she couldn’t accept the role a few hours after she was appointed as one of three commissioners, said Gabon Ambassador Baudelaire Ndong Ella, who presides over the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Alamuddin, an expert on human rights, was among a number of people that Ndong Ella approached as potential candidates, he said, adding he will later decide “on how best to support and strengthen” the commission.

Alamuddin said she “unfortunately could not accept this role.”

She cited “prior professional commitments and regrets that the commission will not benefit from her expertise in the field”.

Alamuddin’s family, who are from Lebanon’s Druze community, fled to Britain during the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.

The 36-year-old is reportedly due to wed 53-year-old Clooney in Italy in September. Meanwhile, a group of human rights organisations said they were organising a flotilla of vessels that will attempt to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza later this year.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said it plans to sail to Gaza “during 2014”. It did not specify how many vessels would participate, but said the flotilla was “a reflection of the growing worldwide solidarity with the Palestinian people”. The group said the boats would also be carrying “Palestinian commercial products purchased by buyers worldwide to complete the work of Gaza’s Ark,” a cargo boat built by the FFC and Palestinians that the group said was bombed on July 11.

It said it would also organise demonstrations in ports worldwide in coming months. “Along with other projects, the initiative will support the right of Palestinians to operate international marine lines in and out of the port of Gaza,” the group said. The group organised two previous flotillas, in 2010 and in 2011. During the first, Israeli forces stormed the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, killing nine people on board. The incident led to a breakdown in Turkish-Israeli relations.

Israel says it imposed the blockade in 2007 to prevent Palestinian militants bringing weapons into Gaza.