The UN Human Rights Council on Monday adopted a resolution condemning Israel's massive attacks on the Gaza Strip and accused it of "grave" human rights violations against Palestinians.

Thirty-three African, Asian, Arab and Latin American countries voted for the resolution. Thirteen mainly European states abstained, while Canada was the only country to vote against.

 

The text released by the UN Council "strongly" condemned the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, saying it had "resulted in massive violations" of the human rights of

Palestinians, AFP reported.

 

It called for "urgent international action" to halt "grave human rights violations by Israel".

 

The draft resolution also called for an end to rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.

 

The resolution tasked ten UN experts on human rights and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay with two separate probes into the violence.

 

It also set up an independent, international fact-finding mission to "investigate all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Israel". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also asked to investigate the bombing of UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.

   

During the first day of the session on Friday, Pillay had warned some attacks that hit civilians and relief workers might warrant prosecutions for war crimes.

   

"Credible, independent and transparent" investigations were a first step towards ensuring accountability, she added on Friday, warning that "violations of international humanitarian law may constitute war crimes for which individual criminal responsibility may be invoked."

 

 

PA/PA

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MNA