UN Human Rights Council additionally backs name to halt all arms gross sales to Israel, highlighting warnings of ‘genocide’ in Gaza.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a decision calling for Israel to be held accountable for potential conflict crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity dedicated within the Gaza Strip, and demanding a halt to all arms gross sales to the nation.
Friday’s vote marked the primary time that the UN’s high rights physique has taken a place on the practically six-month conflict, highlighting warnings of “genocide” within the battle that has killed greater than 33,000 folks.
The decision handed with 28 of the council’s 47 member states voting in favour. The US and Germany have been among the many six international locations that opposed it, whereas France, Albania and 11 different international locations abstained.
The council mentioned the vote was a essential measure, amongst different issues, “to forestall additional violations of worldwide humanitarian regulation and violations and abuses of human rights”.
It confused that the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) dominated in January “that there’s a believable threat of genocide” in Gaza, because it expressed “grave concern at reviews of great human rights violations … together with of potential conflict crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity” within the enclave.
The World Court docket in March unanimously ordered Israel to take all the mandatory and efficient motion to make sure fundamental meals provides arrive immediately to the territory, warning that Palestinians face worsening situations and famine and hunger are spreading.
“Symbolically that is important. That is the primary time that the highest human rights physique had taken a place on this battle. That is reflective of the unprecedented nature of this [conflict],” Marc Owen Jones, an affiliate professor on Center Jap research at Hamad Bin Khalifa College in Qatar, informed Al Jazeera.
Friday’s decision was introduced ahead by Pakistan on behalf of all of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states besides Albania.
Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, slammed the measure as “a stain for the Human Rights Council and for the UN as a complete”.
The vote follows the UN Safety Council’s passage of a decision calling for a ceasefire in March.
Whereas international locations like Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium have suspended arms gross sales to Israel, a number of different Western nations proceed to produce deadly weapons regardless of mounting criticism over the rising civilian casualties.
The US has equipped the majority of Israel’s defence necessities, together with 2000-pound bunker buster bombs. This 12 months, the US Congress additionally permitted a further $14bn army assist bundle to Israel.
The council decision additionally condemned “the usage of hunger of civilians as a way of warfare in Gaza”, the place the UN has warned that famine is looming.
It denounced “the illegal denial of humanitarian entry, willful obstacle to reduction provides and deprivation of objects indispensable to the survival of civilians, together with meals, water, electrical energy, gasoline and telecommunications, by Israel”.
The rights physique criticised as nicely Israel’s persistent refusal to cooperate with quite a few investigations ordered by it.