UN rights council condemns Israel, US opposes

The United Nations Human Rights Council passed three resolutions on Wednesday condemning Israel over its policies in occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories, but the United States voted against them all. A further resolution, calling for a fund to compensate Palestinians who suffered losses during Israel's offensive in Gaza 14 months ago, is expected to be passed on Thursday. One resolution on "grave human rights violations" by Israeli forces in the Palestinian Territories -- which was passed by 31 votes to 9, with 7 abstentions in the 47-member Council -- demanded that Israel end its occupation of Palestinian land occupied since 1967. It also demanded that Israel stop what it called targeting of Palestinian civilians and systematic destruction of their cultural heritage, halt all military operations across Palestinian land and lift its blockade of Gaza. The United States and the European Union, whose seven members on the Council vote separately but generally in unison, opposed the resolution, with both saying it was unbalanced. Another resolution called on Israel to stop building all settlements in the occupied territories and move to withdrawing those now there, was passed by 45 votes with the EU supporting it and only the United States opposing.