UN human rights commission slams Israel

The top United Nations human rights body today slammed Israel’s action in the Middle East, citing a long list of violations including mass killings, sieges and attacks on ambulances and hospitals.

The UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva voted by 40 votes to five, with seven abstentions, to pass an Islamic-sponsored resolution expressing ‘‘grave concern’’ at the deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian territories.

But the vote split the European Union - which normally acts as a bloc - with Germany and Britain voting against the resolution.

The resolution criticised ‘‘gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law’’ such as extrajudicial killing, arbitrary detentions, torture of detainees, besieging of Palestinian towns and villages and the recent incursions into Palestinian towns and camps.

It ‘‘strongly condemns the war launched by the Israeli army against Palestinian towns and camps, which has resulted so far in the death of hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including women and children.’’

It also expresses concern at Israel’s refusal to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and its restrictions on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The commission passes a resolution criticising Israel every year, but this was considered to be stronger than in the past.

Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram, who introduced the resolution, said it was in response to ‘‘a brutal occupation on the Palestinian people,’’ and actions which were tantamount to ‘‘war crimes,’’

But Israeli Ambassador Yaakov Levy said the resolution ‘‘contributes neither to the advancement of human rights nor to the cessation of violence in the area and the restoration of peace and security through a return to the negotiating table.’’