UN Human Rights Council passes resolution calling for suspension of arms sales to Israel

By richardbrown // 2024-04-09

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The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has made a historic call for the world to suspend all arms sales to Israel. This marks the latest resolution made in connection to the conflict in Gaza since it began on Oct. 7. The resolution, passed on Friday, April 5, saw 28 of the council's 47 member states voting in favor, six voting against and 13 abstaining. The non-binding resolution urged nations to halt all sales, transfers and diversions of arms and other military equipment to Israel to prevent any further human rights abuses and breaches of international humanitarian law. Furthermore, it called on UN war crimes investigators to scrutinize all direct and indirect transfers or sales of arms, munitions and related items to Israel and to assess the legal consequences of such actions. The resolution also referenced a January ruling by the International Court of Justice, which identified a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, emphasizing the need for accountability for potential war crimes committed in the region. Before the vote passed, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations Ibrahim Mohammad Khraishi made an appeal to the international community. "We need you all to wake up and stop this genocide, a genocide televised around the world," he said. (Related: United Nations accuses Israel of BLOCKING humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza Strip.) The resolution was opposed by the United States, Germany, Argentina, Bulgaria, Malawi and Paraguay. U.S. Ambassador to the UNHRC Michele Taylor expressed concern over civilian casualties in the conflict, emphasizing Israel's failure to sufficiently mitigate harm to civilians. However, she added that there were supposedly problematic elements in the resolution, such as a failure to condemn Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that caused the current conflict. While the resolution did not explicitly name Hamas, it did condemn rocket attacks on Israeli civilian areas and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages.

Over 33,000 dead in Gaza, mostly women and children

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 33,091 people, predominantly women and children. In addition to calling for the suspension of arms sales, the resolution urged states to prevent the forced transfer of Palestinians within and from Gaza and cautioned against an Israeli ground operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are seeking shelter. It also condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza and stressed the importance of holding all violators of international law accountable. Negotiators are preparing to resume ceasefire talks, following an Egyptian-mediated effort. The talks will involve a Hamas delegation and U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns, sent by President Joe Biden as the American representative to the negotiations. Hamas has insisted on a phased end to the war, linked to the release of prisoners and the return of displaced people to Gaza, among other demands. Israel has offered to allow a limited number of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza daily during a proposed cease-fire. International condemnation of Israeli airstrikes, including one that killed seven humanitarian workers, has escalated tensions. Aid groups have raised concerns about civilian casualties and the impact on humanitarian efforts. Biden has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. support for the war hinges on measures to protect civilians and aid workers. The conflict has led to delays in humanitarian aid deliveries, exacerbating an already dire situation in Gaza. Millions of people are at risk of famine, with families resorting to desperate measures to survive. Israel has pledged to increase aid and open more border crossings, but access remains limited. Watch this report from Press TV discussing the extent of the destruction and human casualties in Gaza. This video from is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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Over 33,000 dead in Gaza, mostly women and children

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