Crimes there were

The recently adopted resolution by the UN Human Rights Council condemning the indiscriminate Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Gaza during the 2014 war that killed thousands of civilians, and calling on both Israel and the Palestinians to prosecute all perpetrators of war crimes committed during that war was met, as usual, with Israeli defiance and rejection.

Israel immediately blasted the balanced resolution by the 47-member main human rights body as an “anti-Israel manifesto” for the mere, logical, reason that it called on it too to ensure that its armed forces that committed grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations are held accountable.

The resolution was based on the findings of UN investigators and submitted to the council on June 22. 

It concluded, inter alia, that both Israeli and Palestinian groups committed serious abuses of international law during the 2014 war on Gaza.

The resolution won the support of most of the major powers; the exceptions, of course, was the US, which voted against it.

It did not name any particular Palestinian group as having committed the alleged crimes. Israel wanted specific reference to Hamas, in this regard, but failed to win the support of the council members on the issue.

In essence, the resolution decided that there is a “need to ensure that all those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights are held to account through appropriate, fair and independent domestic or international criminal justice mechanisms”. 

It clearly gave priority to domestic prosecution, as it should, as only when this is not exercised or proves futile does international jurisdiction apply.

But even the balanced words of the resolution were not accepted by Israel, nor did they win the support of the US.

The arrogant Israeli stance and the US kowtowing are predictable, unfortunately.

Whether implemented, or following the road of so many other decisions regarding Israel, the resolution is still a milestone in the series of UN motions censuring Israel for its illegal acts against the Palestinians.