Stop selling or shipping arms to Israel, UNHRC tells nations
The rights body also called on UNbacked independent investigators to report on shipments of weapons, munitions and ‘dual use’ items that could be used by Israel against Palestinians
The UN’s top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel in a resolution passed on Friday that aims to help prevent rights violations against Palestinians amid Israel’s blistering military campaign in Gaza.
The 47membercountry Human Rights Council voted 286 in favour of the resolution, with 13 abstentions.
The sweeping measure takes aim at an array of Israeli actions such as impeding access to water and limiting shipments of humanitarian aid into Palestinian areas. It also calls on UNbacked independent investigators to report on shipments of weapons, munitions and “dual use” items — that have both civilian and military applications — that could be used by Israel against Palestinians.
While nonbinding, the resolution is bound to raise international pressure on Israel as a sign of widespread concern about its military campaign in Gaza, begun in response to the attacks in Israel by armed militants on October 7, that has led to the killings of nearly 33,000 Palestinians.
Western countries were divided. The U.S. and Germany opposed the resolution, France and Japan abstained, while Belgium, Finland and Luxembourg voted in favour.
Tough line
In a sign of Washington’s growing impatience with Israel’s handling of the military campaign, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a stark warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that future U.S. support for Israel’s Gaza war depends on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.
On Friday, Israel announced it would allow “temporary” aid deliveries into faminethreatened northern Gaza.