GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Friday, urging accountability for potential war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. Israel dismissed the resolution as a "distorted text."
Twenty-eight countries voted in favor, 13 abstained, and six opposed the resolution, including the United States and Germany. The adoption prompted applause from several Council representatives.
The resolution emphasized "the importance of ensuring accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law to end impunity."
It also expressed "serious concern at reports of significant human rights violations and serious breaches of international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, accused the Council of having "long abandoned the Israeli people and long defended Hamas."
"According to the resolution before you today, Israel has no right to protect its people, while Hamas has every right to murder and torture innocent Israelis," she said before the vote.
"A 'Yes' vote is a vote for Hamas."
The United States had pledged to vote against the resolution because it did not specifically condemn Hamas for the Oct. 7 attacks, nor did it mention "the terrorist nature of those actions."
However, the U.S. stated that its ally Israel had not done enough to reduce harm to civilians.
"The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to coordinate military operations against Hamas with humanitarian efforts to avoid civilian casualties and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers," said Michèle Taylor, U.S. permanent representative to the Council.
"That has not happened, and in just six months, more humanitarian workers have been killed in this conflict than in any modern war."
The U.N. Human Rights Council, which convenes several times a year, is the only intergovernmental body dedicated to safeguarding human rights globally.
It has the authority to intensify scrutiny of countries' human rights records and authorize investigations.