India Abstains From UN Resolution On Gaza Ceasefire Issue

India on Friday, April 5, abstained from a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and also demanded that Israel immediately lift its illegal blockade on the strip.

Titled ‘Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice’, the resolution was adopted by the Geneva-based Council with a vote of 28 in favour, six against and 13 abstentions.

Besides India, France, Japan, Netherlands, and Romania among others abstained. Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, and the US voted against the resolution. Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Qatar, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam voted in favour of the resolution.

It demanded “Israel, the occupying Power, end its occupation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.” The resolution also emphasised that all efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law and relevant United Nations resolutions, PTI reported.

It also called for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance, in particular through crossings and land routes, and for the urgent restoration of basic necessities to the Palestinian population in Gaza.”

The UN Human Rights Council on Friday demanded a halt in all arms sales to Israel, highlighting warnings of “genocide” in its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 people.

The resolution -- which passed with 28 of the council’s 47 member states, including Bangladesh, voting in favour, six, including the US and Germany, opposed and 13, including India and France, abstaining -- marked the first time the United Nations’ top rights body has taken a position on the bloodiest-ever war in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, denounced the resolution as “a stain for the Human Rights Council and for the UN as a whole”.

The strongly worded text called on countries to “cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel... to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights”.

It noted that the International Court of Justice ruled in January “that there is a plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza.

Friday’s resolution, which was brought forward by Pakistan on behalf of all Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states except Albania, also called for “an immediate ceasefire” and “for immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance”.

The resolution specifically called on Israel to immediately lift its illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment and siege._The WIre, AFP,