UN Human Rights Council calls for accountability for possible war crimes by Israel

Palestinian people are seen on their way from Gaza City toward south, in southern Gaza Strip, on Nov 18, 2023. [Xinhua]

The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on Friday adopted a resolution urging Israel to be held responsible for potential war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The resolution also urges all nations to cease supplying weapons to Israel.

Out of the 47 member nations in the UN Human Rights Council, 28 countries voted in favor, 13 abstained and 6 opposed the resolution. China supported the resolution, while the United States and Germany opposed it.

The new ruling stressed "the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in order to end impunity".

It also expressed "grave concern at reports of serious human rights violations and grave breaches of international humanitarian law, including of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory".

The resolution also calls on states to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel.

Friday's proposal, which was brought forward by Pakistan on behalf of all Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states except Albania, also called for "an immediate ceasefire" and "for immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance".

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, expressed approval of the vote but also voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of support from certain Western countries.

Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, condemned the resolution as a stain on the Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole.