Israel considers leaving UN Human Rights Council over war crimes allegations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering cutting ties with the UN Human Rights Council after a report alleged that Israel may have committed war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict.

The council on 22 June presented a report on last summer's conflict to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, alleging that both Israel and Palestinian groups may have committed war crimes during the 50 day conflict. The UNHRC is to vote on the findings later this week.

"As a result of the report, we will consider whether to remain or to leave the council," the prime minister said, reports Israel's Army Radio.

In 2012, then-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman ended Israel's membership of the UNHRC over its investigation into West Bank settlements. Israel resumed its ties in 2013, and did not cooperate with the organisation's inquiry into the war with Hamas last year, claiming that the investigation was biased.

At the closed meeting on Monday (29 June), Lieberman reportedly challenged Netanyahu.

"As foreign minister, I ended Israel's involvement in the Human Rights Council. Why did you change that decision?" he asked.

The UNHRC report accepts Palestinian casualty figures, and alleges that Israel was responsible for 1,462 civilian deaths, with 2,251 Palestinians killed in the conflict.

On Monday more than 1,000 pro-Israel protesters rallied in Geneva as the UNHRC debated the report.

"The report is biased," Netanyahu said upon the release of the report. "Israel is not perpetrating war crimes but rather protecting itself from an organization that carries out war crimes. We won't sit back with our arms crossed as our citizens are attacked by thousands of missiles."