Current Affairs:(Polity, Governance and Constitution)

INDIA VOTES IN SUPPORT OF UNHRC RESOLUTION ON GAZA:

India joined Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to vote for a Palestinian-drafted resolution on “Ensuring Respect for international law in The Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jersusalem”.

RESULT OF RESULATION ?

In the 47-member council, 29 countries voted in support of the resolution while 17 nations abstained.
The U.S. was the only nation to vote against the resolution. European countries abstained.

Reason for conflict ?

The recent Israel-Gaza conflict started with the kidnapping of three young Israeli settlers in West Bank in June 2014. This led to rampaging by Israel provoking Hamas to fire rockets on 30 June 2014, for the first time since the November 2012 ceasefire.

Main highlights of the UNHRC resolution

The Council strongly condemned the failure of Israel to end its prolonged occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
It also condemned all violence against civilians wherever it occurs, including the killing of two Israeli civilians
It also called for an end to attacks against all civilians, including Israeli civilians
It demanded Israel to immediately and fully end its illegal closure of the occupied Gaza Strip
It called upon the international community to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance and services to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip
It expresses deep concern at the condition of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails and detention centres.
It also recommended the Government of Switzerland to promptly reconvene the conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention.
In the meanwhile, on the 16th day of ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, around 680 Palestinians and 31 Israelis have been killed. Neither Israelis nor Hamas are backing down despite several attempts at truce including the one brokered by Egypt.

Resolution Analysis in Indian context

In the days leading up to UNHRC resolution, India went for many flip-flops on the Gaza issue. During the 6th BRICS Summit, India partnered with other BRICS countries to censure Israel. Then in the third week of July 2014, Union Government after resisting the demands of Opposition to debate the Gaza issue in the Parliament, it gave in to the demand of Opposition and voted in favour of Palestine in the Parliament. The stand of India in UNHRC has been termed by foreign policy hawks as a monumental blunder. According to them, this indicates a major shift in India’s earlier stance as it contradicts the carefully neutral stance India has maintained during the course of the Gaza offensive.

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