Israel has announced it will suspend its participation in the UN Human Rights Council, following the example of the United States, which also withdrew from the world body, Reuters reported, citing Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, BTA reports.
Israel's decision was criticized by the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese. She described the withdrawal as "extremely serious" and said it showed Israel's arrogance and unwillingness to be held accountable for its actions. "They are confidently claiming that they have nothing to be held accountable for, demonstrating this to the international community," Albanese told Reuters.
Meanwhile, an Israeli military court sentenced an Israeli soldier to seven months in prison for mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners, AFP reported. The soldier admitted repeatedly punching and hitting prisoners with his fists and a weapon while they were handcuffed and blindfolded at Sde Teiman prison in southern Israel.