Danger of genocide

UN Council wants a stop to arms sales to Israel

(Bild: AP)

In view of the situation in the Gaza Strip, the UN Human Rights Council has called for a halt to arms sales to Israel. In a resolution passed on Friday, the body demanded that all arms sales to Israel be stopped due to the "possible danger of genocide in the Gaza Strip". 

Of the 47 members of the Human Rights Council, 28 voted in favor of the resolution, six voted against and 13 abstained. This is the first time that the UN Human Rights Council has taken a position on the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for six months.

This is necessary "to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses", according to the resolution. The Council has no means of enforcing compliance with its resolutions.

USA missed explicit condemnation of attack
Germany and the USA were among those voting against. Among the supporters were Belgium, Finland and Luxembourg. The USA justified its position by stating that the text did not explicitly condemn Hamas for its attack on Israel on October 7.

German Ambassador Katharina Stasch argued that the text does not mention the Islamist Hamas, denies Israel the right to self-defense and contains prejudices against Israel. Israel must, however, protect the Palestinian civilian population and allow aid deliveries.

France disturbed by the term genocide
France justified its abstention with the controversial use of the term genocide. The reference to genocide "cannot be included in a text of such importance as a resolution of this Council without the classification having been confirmed by a competent judicial authority", explained Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont.

Israel's ambassador Meirav Shachar criticized the decision, saying that every "yes" vote was "a vote for Hamas". Palestinian representative Ibrahim Mohammad Khraishi, on the other hand, called for an "end to genocide".

The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, in which, according to Israeli figures, around 1170 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.

33,000 deaths feared in the Gaza Strip
Since then, Israel has taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 33,000 people have been killed.

The UN Human Rights Council has 47 rotating member states. Austria is not currently represented.