THE United Nations Human Rights Council called on countries today to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel, passing a sweeping non-binding resolution as global pressure grows for Tel Aviv’s war machine to be denied any further supplies.

At the meeting of the 47-country council, 28 member states voted in favour of the resolution, six opposed it and 13 abstained.

The United States and Germany were among those voting against it, while France and Japan abstained and Belgium, Finland and Luxembourg voted in favour.

The resolution takes aim at an array of Israeli actions such as blocking the population’s access to water and limiting shipments of humanitarian aid. 

It also calls on UN-backed independent investigators to report on shipments of weapons, munitions and “dual use” items that could be used by Israel against Palestinians.

Israel invaded Gaza, which it had previously held under a crippling siege for 17 years, following a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 last year, during which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

Its invasion has killed more than 33,037 Palestinians, at least two-thirds of them women and children.

Israeli ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar claimed that the resolution was a “stain on the Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole,” adding: “This council has long abandoned the Israeli people and long defended Hamas.”

Palestinian ambassador in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi called on the international community “to wake and stop this genocide.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said that it had sacked two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in drone strikes in Gaza that killed seven aid workers with humanitarian NGO World Central Kitchen.

The army said that the officers had mishandled critical information and violated its rules of engagement.

Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “It’s a serious event that we are responsible for and it shouldn’t have happened and we will make sure that it won’t happen again.”

World Central Kitchen described the investigation and disciplinary measures as “important steps forward.”

More than 220 humanitarian workers have been killed in the conflict, according to the UN.

Scott Paul of Oxfam said the World Central Kitchen killings were tragic but “not an anomaly,” adding: “The killing of aid workers in Gaza has been systemic.”

In a separate development, fast food giant McDonald’s said it had signed a deal to buy all 225 of its Israeli franchises. 

The hamburger chain has faced months of pro-Palestinian boycotts.