Israel has slammed a decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to investigate Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“The decision today by the UNHRC is a travesty and should be rejected by decent people everywhere,” read a Thursday statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The statement also dismissed the validity of the UN probe, saying it would not be objective.
The remarks come as the UNHRC adopted on Wednesday a resolution presented by Palestinians by a vote of 29-1 with 17 abstentions. The United States voted against the resolution while all nine European Union members abstained from voting.
The 47-member forum condemned Israel’s onslaught against the coastal enclave, saying the offensive involved “disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks.”
In addition, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also said measures by Israel could be considered as “war crimes.”
Israeli warplanes have been carrying out incessant airstrikes against the blockaded Gaza Strip since July 8. On July 17, thousands of Israeli soldiers launched a ground invasion into the impoverished territory.
So far, more than 700 people have been killed and thousands of others injured by the Israeli regime’s offensive against the coastal sliver.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 150 Palestinian children have been killed in the Israeli war. Another 107,000 children are also in need of direct and specialized psychosocial support.
