War crimes UN rights body adopts resolution calling for Israel to be held accountable

The UN human rights council adopted a resolution yesterday calling for Israel to be held accountable for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

- Patrick Wintour 

The resolution came as Israel finally succumbed to unprecedented US pressure and opened new humanitarian food aid corridors into Gaza.

The vote by the UNHRC marks another moment in the slow ostracisation of Israel over its war in Gaza, which has so far killed an estimated 33,000 people. Twenty-eight countries voted in favour, 13 abstained and six voted against the resolution, including the US and Germany.

The resolution emphasised "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".

Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, accused the council of having "long abandoned the Israeli people and long defended Hamas".

The resolution follows what appears to have been a decisive phone call between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in which Biden warned that US policy towards Gaza would change if Israel continued to defy calls to alter its approach to the supply of aid.