GENEVA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A U.N. mission to investigate last month's killing of 19 civilians in Gaza by Israeli shells, led by South Africa's Desmond Tutu, has been delayed because Israel has yet to authorise the trip, a spokeswoman said on Saturday. The Nobel Peace laureate, asked to head the team by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, had been due to leave for the Middle East at the weekend, but he would not now leave before Monday, mission spokeswoman Sonia Bakar said. "We are still waiting for a sign from Israeli. It (the departure) will not be before Monday," she told Reuters. The top U.N. human rights body has condemned the Nov. 8 deaths at Beit Hanoun and last month voted to send a mission to investigate, which should report back by Friday. Israel, which has in the past ignored some visit requests by U.N. fact-finding missions, says it regrets the deaths but it blames the Gaza violence on Palestinian gunmen and rocket crews.
