India Votes In Support Of UNHRC Resolution On Gaza: Report

New Delhi, July 27, IRNA -- India along with BRICS countries Wednesday voted in support of a UN Human Rights Council resolution to launch a probe into Israelˈs offensive on Gaza. India joined Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to vote for a Palestinian-drafted resolution on ˈEnsuring Respect for International Law in The Occupied Palestinian Territories, Including East Jersusalemˈ. In the 47-member council, 29 countries voted in support of the resolution while 17 nations abstained, the PTI reported. The US was the only nation to vote against the resolution. The European countries abstained. The voting came as bloodbath in the Gaza Strip continued unabated today with Israel and Hamas refusing to back down in the 16-day conflict that has killed over 680 Palestinians and 31 Israelis. Earlier, India asked Israel and Palestine to demonstrate political will to agree to a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. Expressing deep concern over the escalating conflict in Gaza, India on Saturday said that dialogue remains the only viable option to resolve issues between Israel and Palestine, as it called on both sides to return to the negotiating table. ˈWe remain hopeful that a sustainable ceasefire will be reached between the two sides, linked to the resumption of the peace process, for a comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue,ˈ Indiaˈs Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji said at the UN Security Council open debate on ˈThe Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Questionˈ. ˈIndia remains firmly convinced that dialogue remains the only viable option that can effectively address the issues confronting the region and its people. We hope that both sides will demonstrate the necessary political will to agree to a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table,ˈ Mukerji said. He said India is ˈdeeply concernedˈ at the steep escalation in the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and heavy damage to property. Mukerji said India is following the current situation in the region with great deal of concern. ˈWe have called upon both sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid taking actions that may further exacerbate the situation and threaten the peace and security of the region. India supports all efforts for an immediate ceasefire between the parties involved,ˈ he said. Mukerji highlighted Indiaˈs deep association and continuing commitment to Palestine that is rooted in the countryˈs modern history. ˈWe would also like to reiterate our support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue based on the relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Quartet Roadmap resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side and at peace with Israel,ˈ he said. Indiaˈs assertions came as bloodbath in Gaza continued unabated today with Israel and Hamas refusing to back down in the 16-day conflict that has killed over 660 Palestinians and 31 Israelis. As the Israeli onslaught on Gaza continued for the last 16 days, more and more evidence of atrocities is being made public, which producing widespread expressions of outrage around the world. There have been numerous protests in India, Europe and North America, which though still relatively small, reflect the growth of popular understanding of the criminal character of the one-sided “war” against Gaza. This is not the first time that Israel is engaged in inhuman and criminal act. Since 2006, Israel’s illegal blockade, this is the third Israeli war on the people of Gaza. The ongoing bombardment of Gaza is the latest chapter in a 66-year history of violence against the Palestinian people, as reported by wsws. Israel was established through the seizure of Palestinian land and the expulsion of its people. While many Jewish people came to Israel to escape the horrific crimes committed against them in fascist Europe during World War II, the tragic outcome of the Zionist project is a state that commits crimes against the Palestinian people recalling many of the methods employed by the Nazis. Nearly a half-century has passed since the Six Day War of June 1967, in which Israel seized control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, Syria’s Golan Heights and other Arab territories. The Zionist regime has been defined by the unending cycle of war, occupation and repression unleashed by this war. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Israel has made permanent the refugee status of millions of Palestinians and subjected generations of people to poverty and repression. This history has had terrible consequences for the people of the region./end