The UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday opened a special session on the human rights situation of occupied Palestinian territories.

Addressing the session, many delegates expressed their deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza Strip, where Israeli military operations are causing grave humanitarian consequences.

They urged both Israel and the Hamas government to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from worsening further.

"China is deeply concerned about the tension and is paying high attention to the humanitarian crisis in occupied Palestinian territories," said Sha Zukang, Chinese ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva.

Sha urged both sides to exercise restraint: Israel should stop its military operations immediately, while Hamas government should release a captured Israel soldier and cooperate with international mediating efforts.

Addressing the session, Warren W. Tichenor, U.S. ambassador to the UN Office in Geneva, also called on Israel "to exercise restraint at this very difficult time."

"Restraint is the only way to ensure that hope for a future peace process can survive intact," said the U.S. delegate.

But Tichenor regretted that the Human Rights Council had focused only on violations by Israel, while ignoring the role of Hamas in the conflict.

"The United States calls on the Human Rights Council to exercise its responsibility to promote and protect human rights in an even-handed, fair and equitable way," he said.

The U.S. has chosen to be outside the 47-state new rights body in its first year of work, but can still exert its influence as an observer.

This is the first special session held by the Human Rights Council, which took the place of the former widely-discredited Human Rights Commission.

Its first regular session was held in Geneva from June 19 to June 30.

According to the UN General Assembly resolution that created the new rights promoting body in March, it can hold special sessions on urgent situations besides its regular sessions.

Wednesday's special session on the Palestinian situation was requested by Tunisia representing Arab countries. The request was supported by a total of 21 member states of the council, above the one-third threshold.

Arab and Muslim countries had put forward a draft resolution to the special session, which denounces Israeli violations in Gaza and urges the UN to send a fact-finding team to the area.

But member states failed to vote on the resolution and its amended parts Wednesday due to sharp differences and time limit.

The session will continue on Thursday when divided member states are to vote on the resolution.

Source: Xinhua