On the heels of the two-week conflict between Hamas (Gaza) and Israel, the United Nations Human Rights Council has approved an investigation into supposed war crimes committed by Israel; Israeli Foreign Ministry: The decision is a moral stain on the international community and the UN.
Just days after Hamas (Gaza) and Israel agreed to a unilateral ceasefire, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) opened an investigation into alleged Israel war crimes and human rights violations. The 11-day conflict came to an end on Friday morning, May 21st, but it’s critical to remember how it began in the first place – Hamas firing multiple rockets towards the capital city of Israel, Jerusalem.
The UNHRC voted 24-9 in favor of the investigation, including 14 abstentions. It is also worth noting that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation brought the resolution to the table, which has a longstanding sympathy for the Palestinians.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the probe “completely ignores the 4,300 rockets toward Israeli citizens” and added that it is a “moral stain on the international community and the UN.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the criticism, stating that the UNHRC clearly has a “blatant anti-Israel obsession.” He added that the “automatic majority at the council whitewashes a genocidal terrorist organization that deliberately targets Israeli civilians while turning Gaza’s civilians into human shields.”
Not only did Hamas initiate the violence that ensued, but it fired over 4,000 rockets in total, sometimes harming its own people. Furthermore, the acts of terror that came out of Gaza resulted in the deaths of several Israeli civilians. As Hamas continued to launch rockets, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated with numerous airstrikes throughout the Strip.
And while the UNHRC cites the Jewish state for potential human rights violations, it’s worth noting that it’s Hamas that strategically establishes itself in civilian areas and compounds, creating human shields for itself as noted by the PM.
It was perhaps Defense Minister Benny Gantz who said it best, stating that the decision “ends all legitimacy for the Human Rights Council’s continued existence.”
