Richard Goldstone defended the report by his U.N. panel on Israel's Gaza operation last winter.

At a conference Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington, Goldstone said that every possible measure was taken to ensure that the report was compiled in an even-handed and fair manner.

The former South African judge maintained that the report did not look at the justifications for either side's actions but rather at the manner in which military force was applied.

The recently released report by his commission found that Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the military offensive known as Operation Cast Lead.

In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement Thursday that the U.N. Human Rights Council's acceptance of the report would "deal a fatal blow to the peace process," Goldstone was adamant that the commission's work was absolutely necessary.

"We went to great lengths to get the full story," Goldstone said, stressing that a public acknowledgment of both Israeli and Palestinian victims was necessary and important for the healing process. "Without that, there can not be an enduring peace."

Israel, believing the investigation was biased, did not cooperate with Goldstone's commission.