The UN Human Rights Council adopted a draft resolution calling for the suspension of arms sales to Israel, which has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip for nearly six months.

At the same time, the draft resolution underlines the need to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in order to end impunity.

It also expresses deep concern at the reports of serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law, especially possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Twenty-eight countries voted in favor of the draft resolution, 13 abstained and six voted against it. It is the first time that the UN Human Rights Council has taken a position regarding the war that broke out on October 7 after Hamas attacked Israel.

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However, the Council lacks the means to enforce its decisions. Meirav Eilon Sahar, Israel’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, accused the Human Rights Council of abandoning Israelis and defending Hamas long ago.

The US had said that it would vote against the draft resolution because it does not clearly condemn Hamas’s attack on Israel and contains no reference to the terrorist nature of those actions. However, they believe that Israel, their close ally, has not done enough to prevent civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.

With information from: APA MPA

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