FORMER United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay has been tasked with leading an open-ended commission of inquiry into “systematic abuses” in Israel and the occupied territories.

UN Human Rights Council president Nazhat Shameem Khan announced that the former South African judge would led a three-person probe into the causes of the decades-long Middle East “conflict.”

The Commission of Inquiry (COI) was triggered by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, during which more than 250 Palestinians were killed and hospitals and other infrastructure targeted in an 11-day bombing campaign.

A joint report by the UN, European Union and World Bank last month found that Israel’s devastating attack caused some $380 million (£275m) worth of damage and pushed food poverty levels to 62 per cent of the two million population.

The UN Human Rights Council agreed in an emergency session on May 27 to establish the probe which will investigate “all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law” in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including occupied East Jerusalem.

The COI will also try to establish “all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.”

It is the first time that a COI has been given an open-ended remit, with others having their mandates extended on a yearly basis.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had described Israel’s air strikes on Gaza as possible war crimes, although she also condemned Hamas for firing rockets.

Ms Pillay will be joined by Miloon Kothari of India, the first UN special rapporteur on adequate housing, and Australian international human rights law expert Chris Sidoti.

Israel has refused to co-operate with the inquiry.