The United Nations human rights council held a special meeting on Friday night to discuss the “deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory”. Twenty-nine countries, an overwhelming majority, voted to urgently set up an “independent, international commission of inquiry” to investigate recent violations of human rights and international humanitarian law there. • Sign up to receive the top stories in Australia every day at noonOnly two countries voted against the proposal: Australia and the United States, although another 14 abstained. But it opposed the human rights council’s inquiry over concerns that it appeared biased. Oxfam’s chief executive, Dr Helen Szoke, said Australia, through its role on the council, had an “unprecedented opportunity to progress human rights”.

Source: The Guardian May 19, 2018 04:36 UTC