U.N. Human Rights Council rebukes Israel on Gaza

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday demanded Israel lift its week-long blockade of Gaza, rebuking the Jewish state for the third time for violations in the Palestinian territories since the forum was set up in 2006.

The 47-member council adopted a resolution presented by Arab and Muslim states by a vote of 30 states in favour and one against with 15 abstentions, and one delegation absent.

Israeli military attacks on Gaza and the West Bank city of Nablus constituted "grave violations of the human and humanitarian rights" of Palestinian civilians, it said in a text which made no mention of the rockets launched into Israel by Palestinian militants.

Mohammed Abu-Koash, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the special emergency session called to address conditions in the Palestinian territories that Israel's siege and raids in Gaza constituted "war crimes".

"We hope the resolution will trigger international pressure and action to lift the Israeli siege and restore supplies of food, fuel and medicine, open border crossings and end repeated Israeli military attacks throughout the occupied Palestinian territory," he said.

Israel, facing frequent rocket attacks from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, tightened its border closure last week. It briefly halted fuel delivery to a Gaza power station and cut supplies to petrol stations, and blocked food and other humanitarian aid.

The Israeli army estimates about 250 rockets and mortar rounds have pounded Israel since last week. Israeli troops killed more than 30 Palestinians over the same period.

VIOLENCE