A committee set up by the Islamist militant group Hamas is aiding European lawyers to investigate war crimes allegedly committed by Israel in its winter offensive in Gaza a year ago, AFP reported on Sunday.

"We provide documents, reports and evidence of crimes to all international bodies aiding the Palestinian people in bringing Israeli civilian and military leaders to trial and issuing warrants for their arrest," Diya al-Madhun, the judge who heads the committee, told the French news agency.

"We have provided a group of independent lawyers in Britain with documents, information and evidence concerning war crimes committed by Israeli political and military leaders, including [opposition leader Tzipi] Livni."

Al-Madhun added, however, that the lawyers acted independently and were not hired by the Islamist group, according to AFP...