UN Human Rights Council adopts three resolutions against Israel, in favour of Palestine

The UN Human Rights Council adopted resolutions in favour of Palestine during the longest session in its history.

Thirty-five resolutions were passed on Friday at the Council's 49th session, which ran from February 28 to April 1 at the UN, three of which were against Israel.

Pakistan proposed the resolutions on the behalf of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and they passed by a majority of votes.

The first resolution reaffirmed the right of Palestinians to self-determination and was adopted by 41 in favour, 3 against (including UK and US) and 3 abstentions.

The second resolution condemned Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and in the Syrian Golan and was adopted by a vote of 38 in favour, 4 against (including UK and US) and 5 abstentions.

The third resolution condemned the human rights situation on lands occupied by Israel, including the Syrian Golan, and urged Tel Aviv to stop "repressive measures" against local communities on occupied land. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 29 in favour, 15 against (including France, Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine, UK and the US) and 3 abstentions.

States were urged to refuse the recognition and assistance of Israel's human rights breaches and to support Palestinians in their plight for self-determination.

"In a resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, the council reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to live in freedom, justice, and dignity and the right to their independent State of Palestine," the council said.

Federico Villegas, President of the UN Human Rights Council said the five-week session was the longest in its history.

Palestine's foreign ministry in a statement welcomed the support saying "the principled position of the member states on the importance of accountability of the Israeli colonial and apartheid regime".

"The international consensus and the vote in favour of Palestine's resolutions is a form of protection for the Palestinian people and preserving their rights, which would ultimately lead to the dismantling of the Israeli apartheid regime," the ministry added.

Israel invaded the West Bank in 1967 and has authorised the building of hundreds of settlements in the occupied territories – a move deemed illegal by the international community.

More than 380,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank, over 40 percent of them outside settlement blocs, Israeli daily Haaretz has found.

Palestinians in the West Bank often face intimidation and violence from settlers.