Israel said Monday that it will not cooperate with the UN inquiry panel to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the Israeli military offensive on Gaza that ended on January 18.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak made the remarks to reporters after meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at UN Headquarters.

Barak said that the panel, led by South African prosecutor Richard Goldstone, will never be able to talk to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) which controls Gaza, to probe "terrorist" attacks on Israel, so as to ensure an "unbiased conclusion."

"I don't think Israel has to or will cooperate with this investigation," he added.

The UN inquiry panel of 15 legal experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council arrived in Gaza on Monday.

Goldstone told reporters that he is glad to be in Gaza, adding that his team "will work and cooperate with all parties."

"We came here to investigate, to listen and to watch everything related to violations that happened here and harmed the human rights and the international conventions," said Goldstone.

According to deposed Hamas' ministry of health, more than 1,450 Palestinians were killed, most of them were women and children, and less than one third of those killed were militants.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)