Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered on Monday to form a committee to probe the recommendations of a United Nations fact-finding report over the Israeli war on Gaza last year.

Abbas issued on Monday a presidential decree calling for forming a committee to investigate and study the report's recommendations, saying that the committee has to bring back a response after probing the report's recommendations.

South African Judge Richard Goldstone and his team prepared a U. N. fact-finding report which was issued last August. The report alleged that both Israel and Islamic Hamas movement may have committed war crimes against civilians during the Israeli offensive against Gaza.

"The main responsibility of the investigative committee would be to monitor and follow up the implementation of the Palestinian National Authority's responsibilities stated in the Goldstone Report recommendations," said Abbas decree.

Israel had carried a 22-day military operation "Cast Lead" on the Gaza Strip which ended last January. Around 1,440 people were killed, while 5,000 were injured and thousands of homes and constructions were destroyed.