UN Holds Investigation Of Attacks On Gaza: Netanyahu Calls It Anti-Israel Obsession, Hamas Welcomes It

Public transportation and vehicles of civilians who are victims of Israel's armed conflict with Hamas. (Wikimedia Commons/Yoav Cool יואב קרן)

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has agreed to launch an international investigation into alleged crimes committed during the 11-day conflict between Palestinian militant groups and the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.

An independent inquiry will have a broad mandate to investigate all suspected abuses, not only in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but also in Israel during hostilities that were halted by a ceasefire on May 21.

UN Human Rights Council Chair, Michelle Bachelet, previously told the council that Israel's deadly attack on Gaza may amount to a war crime. Meanwhile, Hamas has violated international humanitarian law by firing rockets at Israel.

On the other hand, Israel rejected the resolution adopted by the Geneva forum and said it would not cooperate. This international investigation is in accordance with the resolution brought by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations

In a vote conducted by 47 delegates from the UN Human Rights Council, 24 countries supported, and nine were against, with 14 abstentions. European countries were divided, with Austria, Britain, and Germany voted against it, while France and the Netherlands abstained.

"Today's embarrassing decision is another example of the UN Human Rights Council's overt anti-Israel obsession," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement accusing the forum of covering up a genocidal terrorist organization," Reuters reported Friday, May 28.

Israel's Foreign Ministry says its forces act in accordance with international law in defending Israeli civilians from indiscriminate Hamas rocket fire.

Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman called their actions legitimate resistance and called for immediate steps to punish Israel.

Israel's main ally, the United States, which has only observer status and has no voice, said it deeply regretted the decision at the forum.

"Today's action threatens to jeopardize the progress that has been made," said the United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

Bachelet told the council her office has verified the deaths of 270 Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, including 68 children, during this month's violence.

He said, most of the victims were killed in Gaza. Meanwhile, 10 Israelis were killed by Hamas rockets, he said. Israel itself claims, the number of its citizens who were killed by Hamas rockets as many as 13 people.

"Unfortunately, those who claim to be global human rights fighters continue to protect the occupation from global accountability, literally providing weapons and ammunition for widely reported war crimes and apartheid crimes against the Palestinian people," said Pakistan's ambassador to the OIC, Khalil Hashmi, speaking on behalf of the OKI.

However, Bachelet said the indiscriminate attack from rockets launched by Hamas was a clear violation of international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, he said the Israeli attack on Gaza caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and casualties.

"Despite Israeli claims that many of these structures house armed groups or are used for military purposes, we have not seen any evidence in this regard," Bachelet said.

"If found to be indiscriminate and disproportionate, such an attack may constitute a war crime," he concluded.