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UN rights council passes resolution condemning Israel occupation of Gaza

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The UN Human Rights Council on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the Israeli occupation in Gaza and demanding the immediate withdrawal of military forces. The council also decided to dispatch a fact-finding mission to investigate possible human rights violations. The resolution passed 33-1, with 13 abstentions. Canada was the only dissenting vote. The resolution comes after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Friday called for an independent investigation of possible war crimes and human rights violations in the ongoing conflict between Israel and combatants in the Gaza Strip. Last week, Amnesty International USA criticized the US insufficiently responding to the Gaza crisis in a letter sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Late last month, militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip fired more than 80 rockets and mortars into southern Israel, hitting private residences, public buildings, offices, and other populated areas. The Israeli government responded by filing two letters of complaint with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and warned militants that they would pay a "heavy price" if attacks continued. Both letters of complaint, sent by Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Gabriel Shalev, cited Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which provides that a Member-State may act in self-defense in the face of an armed attack until the UN Security Council has taken the steps necessary to maintain international peace and security.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 12, 2009 (boomark / email).