UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called upon both Israelis and Palestinians to start "full, independent and credible" domestic investigations into the three-week Gaza conflict, which ended early this year.

Speaking during his monthly press conference here, Ban said he is waiting for the decision by the UN General Assembly on the Goldstone report that accuses Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes in Gaza.

He said he "is looking forward to the decision" by the 192-member General Assembly. "I am waiting for any guidelines from the General Assembly for me to act upon."

"I understand the General Assembly president is going to hold a meeting on the report," he said, adding that he has talked with the president of the 64th General Assembly session, Ali Abdussalam Treki.

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council endorsed a report by a panel headed by Richard Goldstone of South Africa. The Arab Group is requesting that the report will be debated in the General Assembly in early November, diplomats said here.

Ban said that he will act upon the decision reached by the General Assembly after its debate on the report on the Gaza conflict, which broke out on December 27, 2008 and killed some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

Israel rejected the report on the ground that it is "biased" and "one-sided."

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2009)