The Human Rights Council adopts a resolution demanding a stop of arms sales to the Israeli entity

During its 55th regular session, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted today a resolution in favor of Palestine, which came under the second item of its agenda on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian territory.

28 of the Council’s 47 members voted in favor of the resolution against six, including the United States and Germany, while 13 abstained, including France, India and Japan.

The resolution called upon States to cease their sale of arms, ammunition and other military equipment and to stop their transfer and diversion to Israel, the occupying Power, in order to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations. It also called on these states to refrain, in accordance with international norms and standards, from exporting, selling or transferring control goods, technologies and less lethal weapons when they consider that there are grounds to suspect that these goods, technologies or weapons may be used to violate human rights.

The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, immediate access to emergency humanitarian assistance and immediate action to prevent the continued forced deportation of Palestinians into or from Gaza in compliance with obligations under international law. It also called upon the Israeli entity to lift its illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip and all forms of collective punishment.

The resolution condemned the occupation’s use of starvation of Palestinians as a means of war in Gaza, its illegal denial of humanitarian access, its deliberate obstruction of relief supplies and the denial of essential supplies to civilians for their survival, including food, water, electricity, fuel and telecommunications.

Amal Farhat