Richard Goldstone, Head of the United Nations inquiry team to investigate the outcome of the Israeli military offensive on Gaza, expressed on Thursday his sad feelings after seeing the destruction caused by Israel.

Goldstone told a news conference in Gaza that he felt bad after he saw the destruction caused by a 22-day Israeli offensive on Gaza that ended on Jan. 18.

He briefed what his team has done since it arrived in Gaza on Monday, and the visits of his team made to different locations in the Gaza Strip.

"We had already visited 14 locations in Gaza city and in northern Gaza Strip, and we listened to 70 eyewitnesses, who are the families of the victims. We also visited schools, and the Red Crescent Hospital," said Goldstone.

"I listened to testimonies and I received important documents and video cassettes that will be helping us to prepare our final report," said Goldstone, who proposed meeting with the witnesses in both Gaza and then in Geneva.

He added that his committee "finished listening to the witnesses, then by early July the team will leave and then will prepare its final report in August which is expected to be published in September."

More than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured in the offensive which started on December 27, 2008 and ended on January 18, 2009.

As for the Israeli side, three Israeli civilians were killed in Palestinian rocket attacks and 10 soldiers were killed in the fighting inside Gaza.

He noted that the Israeli refusal of cooperation with the committee and the delegation would obstruct listening to other testimonies, adding "this would influence the credibility of the report."

(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2009)