India abstained on vote calling for Gaza ceasefire at UNHRC

On April 5, India chose to abstain from voting on a resolution passed by the Human Rights Council. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged states to implement an arms embargo. The resolution was adopted by the 47-member Human Rights Council.

Key highlight of the voting

• India voted in favor of three resolutions that criticized Israel for human rights violations against Palestinians, Israel’s occupation of Syrian Golan, and called for the Palestinian right to self-determination. 
• India did not vote for a fourth resolution that condemned Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which the US, Germany, and four other countries voted against. India, along with France and Japan, abstained from voting on this resolution. 
• The resolution that was finally adopted demanded that Israel lift its illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment and siege, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

NOTE: The Gaza Strip is a 140 square mile region located southwest of Israel, along the Mediterranean Sea coast.

About Israel Palestine War

Throughout history, Jews have faced persecution due to their religious beliefs and unique culture.

Zionist movement: In 1897, the Zionist movement was initiated by Jews who aimed to escape persecution and establish their own state in their ancestral homeland, Israel. 

• To champion the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, the World Zionist Organisation was established. Consequently, many Jews started to migrate to Palestine, buying land and settling there.

Sykes-Picot Agreement: In 1916, Palestine came under British authority as a result of the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which was a secret agreement between Great Britain and France that divided the former Ottoman Turkish Empire. 

• Later, the British foreign secretary, James Balfour, agreed to the establishment of a Jewish homeland through the Balfour Declaration.

Nazis: In the 1930s, when the Nazis took control of Germany, many Jews migrated from Europe to Palestine. 

• This migration was seen as a threat to the Arab homeland, and violence escalated. As the British Government remained inactive, the situation worsened. In 1947, the British Government referred the matter of Palestine's future to the United Nations. 
• The UN voted to divide the land into two countries, a decision that the Jewish people accepted. Consequently, they declared the independence of Israel.

About Gaza Conflict

Formation of PLO: In 1948, the creation of Israel was interpreted by Arabs as a scheme to evict them from their land. As a result, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria declared war on Israel. At the end of the conflict, Israel emerged as the victorious party and implemented an expansionist policy, which led to an increase in its territory. 

• This war resulted in the displacement of a significant number of Palestinians, who were either forced to flee or settle in refugee camps near Israel's border. 
• As a consequence, the Palestine refugee crisis occurred, which ultimately led to the formation of the PLO terrorist organization in 1964.

Six-Day War: In 1967, Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, which is now famously known as the Six-Day War. 

• As a result of the war, Israel gained control of the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt. 

This war is significant in today's conflict as it left Israel in control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which are territories with a large Palestinian population. These territories are now referred to as the 'Occupied Territories' after the 1967 war.