India on Friday (April 5) abstained from a resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for Israel to be held accountable for the alleged war crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The resolution also condemned the alleged “use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza”. The resolution was adopted by 28 votes in favour, 6 against and 13 abstentions at the end of the 55th Council session. The United States voted against the anti-Israeli resolution, as did Germany, Argentina, Paraguay, Bulgaria and Malawi.

What does the resolution say?

In the resolution adopted on Friday, the UNHRC condemned Israel for the war in Gaza, however, did not make any mention of Hamas or its crimes on the October 7 attack. The resolution equates the abductees with detainees suspected of terrorist activity.

The resolution goes against Israel’s right to defend itself. Furthermore, the resolution provides legitimacy for Palestinian ‘resistance’ to the ‘occupation,’ calls for an arms embargo on Israel, and blatantly disregards the supply of weapons to Hamas by Iran and its allies.

Following the adoption of the resolution, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar, left the hall in protest, the press release said.

Israel’s representative reacts

Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahr said, “All that matters to this Council and many of its members is condemning the State of Israel, and defending the Hamas terrorist organization as well as anyone else who seeks to harm and destroy us.”

“The resolutions adopted today are a stain on the United Nations in general and the Human Rights Council in particular. It is a disgrace that the Council adopted a resolution that does not even mention Hamas or its brutal terrorist attacks of October 7. This Council could not even bring itself to condemn the brutal murder of more than 1,200 of our citizens or the abduction of 240 men, women, children and babies. A Council that chose not to condemn the acts of rape, mutilation and sexual violence committed against Israeli women, girls and men by Hamas,” Shahr also said.

There are 47 member states in the United Nations Human Rights Council, according to geographic distribution. Currently, its members include Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Algeria, South Africa, Somalia, Cuba, together with the United States, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria among other states, the release said.

The member states of the Council are elected for a term of 3 years and only members of the Council have the right to vote on the various resolutions.

(With ANI inputs)

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