Outraged Israel calls Goldstone report 'ridiculous'

Israeli President Shimon Peres describes South African judge Richard Goldstone's fact-finding report on the Gaza war as "ridiculous" and "full of lies."

Goldstone's report on Israel's war crimes is a "bunch of lies", Peres told the United States' envoy to the United Nations, Susan Rice, on Thursday.

Harshly condemning the report, he said the UN is assisting the spread of baseless stories against Israel and added that this international body should not be a platform for hatred.

The UN human rights investigator in his report was more critical of Israel than Hamas in committing war crimes in Gaza in the period between December 27 and January 18, when over 1,400 Palestinians, many of them civilians, were killed in the Israeli assault.

Goldstone has lashed out at Washington, saying many of those who are against the report have not even read it. He called for the issue to be referred to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Rice told Peres that the Obama administration has disproved the report as flawed. Israel has the full support of the United States, and that her country will be the strong ally in the "fight against the report of judge Goldstone."