UN votes to send war-crimes investigators to Gaza

The United Nations Human Rights Council voted on Friday to assign international war crimes investigators to look into Israel's response to Palestinian protests that have seen 110 Palestinians killed in recent weeks.

After a special session called in response to the deadliest day of protests on Monday, when 60 Palestinians were killed, the resolution was supported by 29 countries, with only the US and Australia voting against. Fourteen countries abstained, including Britain and Germany.

Israel promptly criticised the decision made by the council, which it has in the past frequently accused of being biased against it. 

"Simply put, with this resolution, this council has reached a new height of hypocrisy, and the lowest standards of credibility!" tweeted Israeli Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Aviva Raz Shechter.

During the session, UN human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein condemned Israel for its systematic abuse of Palestinians, including 1.9 million "caged in a toxic slum from birth to death" in Gaza, as he voiced his support for an independent inquiry into the killings. 

"Nobody has been made safer by the horrific events of the past week," he told the meeting in Geneva. "End the occupation, and the violence and insecurity will largely disappear."

Israel and the US rejected the calls for an investigation, prompted after a deadly response to protests on Monday took the number of Palestinians killed since protests started on 30 March to more than 110.

"The stark contrast in casualties on both sides is also suggestive of a wholly disproportionate response," Hussein said in supporting the call for an investigation.

He also rejected Israeli justification for its use of force because some protesters tried to breach its security fence on Gaza's perimeter while others directed stones and burning kites at Israeli troops.

An injured protester is carried away from Israeli fire during protests this week (AFP)

"These actions alone do not appear to constitute the imminent threat to life or deadly injury which could justify the use of lethal force," he said.

"Killing resulting from the unlawful use of force by an occupying power may also constitute wilful killings, a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention."