India was among 13 countries that abstained from voting on a UN Human Rights Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but also, in a first, sought an arms embargo on Israel.
The resolution was adopted as 28 countries voted in favour and six, including the US and Germany, against. In all, the Council adopted 5 resolutions, including a text in which it demanded that Israel immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by the UN Human Rights Office.
The resolution also sought accountability for possible “war crimes” but Israel was reported to have dismissed it as “distorted text”. The resolution called for pursuing accountability for “violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law”.
Given its strong ties with Israel, India had been reluctant to back ceasefire in Gaza initially but later came around to voting in favour of a UNGA resolution that demanded humanitarian ceasefire in December. The text of the UN human rights resolution, especially the call to cease the transfer of arms to Israel, meant India could only abstain.
The resolution called for a report on both the direct and indirect transfer or sale of arms, munitions, parts, components and dual use items to “Israel, the occupying power, and to analyse the legal consequences of these transfers”. This may be of concern to India if reports about it having supplied lethal Hermes drones to Israel are true.
