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UN Human Rights Council: Israel Must Pay Palestinians Reparations


The United Nations Human Rights Council has called on Israel to pay Palestinians in the Gaza Strip reparations for damages suffered during the Israeli offensive about a year ago.

The 47-nation council on Thursday did not call for similar payments to Israel by Palestinians.

The proposal by Pakistan was passed by a vote of 29-6, with 11 abstentions. It also calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to investigate Israel's suspected use of white phosphorous during that offensive, which ended in January 2009.

The U.S. and five European countries voted against the proposal.

The recommendation came after the council approved at least three other resolutions condemning Israel on Wednesday. U.S. envoy Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said the council too often has been "exploited as a platform from which to single out Israel," which she says undermines the council's credibility.

Meanwhile, medics in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip say Israeli forces shot and wounded two Palestinians.

The medics say one man faces severe injuries after Israeli forces shot him in the back near the Sufa border crossing. They say the Israeli navy shot a fisherman in a separate incident.

The French news agency quotes the Israeli military as saying it was not aware of a shooting near the crossing and said the fisherman fell and hit his head when the navy fired warning shots.

The navy frequently fires warning shots to keep Palestinian fishermen in a restricted fishing zone.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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