The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is "blatantly taking sides" by holding a special session on the outbreak of violence in the Gaza Strip and supporting Palestine, the US acting envoy to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, Theodore Allegra, said.
"The United States remains concerned over the recent outbreak of violence along the Gaza fence. But today's session is blatantly taking sides and ignoring the real culprit for the recent outbreak of violence, the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas has even admitted its involvement in the violence when a Hamas official proudly announced that 50 of the 62 killed were members of Hamas. The United States affirms Israel's right to defend itself. We also condemn in the strongest terms actions by Hamas and other militant groups," Allegra stated.
Theodore Allegra on behalf of the United States @usmissiongeneva addressed the Human Rights Council during its 28th special session entitled "International law violations in the context of protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem" pic.twitter.com/DXpzp7zys5
— HRC SECRETARIAT (@UN_HRC) May 18, 2018
During the UNHRC session, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Hussein said killings of the Palestinians during the Gaza protests could be assessed as "willful" and therefore breaching the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
During the protests, the Israeli forces used lethal fire against the activists, which resulted in the deaths of over 60 Palestinians. Israel holds Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, responsible for the outbreak of violence in the region.
Pakistan Introduces Draft Resolution in on Probe Into Gaza Clashes
Pakistan has introduced a draft resolution to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to investigate the violent clashes on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
"The OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] Member States urge Israel, the Occupying Power, to put an immediate end to the disproportionate use of force against Palestinian demonstrators, refrain from any act that could lead to further casualties & ensure prompt and unimpeded access to medical treatment to injured Palestinians as well as facilitate impartial international investigation into the use of force against Palestinian demonstrators in compliance with international standards & hold those responsible accountable," Pakistan's address said, as quoted on the UNHRC Secretariat Twitter page.
The 28th Special Session of the Council "Violations of international law in the context of large-scale civilian protests in the #OPT, including East Jerusalem" has concluded.
— HRC SECRETARIAT (@UN_HRC) May 18, 2018
The draft Resolution has been adopted by 29 votes in favor, 2 against, 14 abstentions. pic.twitter.com/C1MOS6aTPn
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) 18 мая 2018 г.
The draft resolution calls on Israel to respect international law and on the possible commission to issue recommendations on the protection of civilians in Palestine as well as present a report on the situation in the Gaza Strip at the 40th session of the UNHRC that will be held in 2019.
READ MORE: Israel ‘Scrutinized More than Ever' Over ‘Brutal Aggression' in Gaza
Earlier in the day, Palestinian Envoy to the United Nations in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi called on the United Nations to create an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the ongoing wave of violence on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip. The idea was criticized by Israeli Envoy to the United Nations in Geneva Aviva Raz Shechter, who called the UNHRC and the draft resolution politically motivated.
