GENEVA (REUTERS) - The United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday (March 22) condemned Israel's "apparent intentional use of unlawful lethal and other excessive force" against civilian protesters in Gaza and called for perpetrators of all violations in the strip to face justice.

The Geneva forum adopted a resolution on accountability, brought by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), by a vote of 23 states in favour, 8 against with 15 abstentions.

European countries were divided. The United States does not participate, having quit the body last year over perceived anti-Israel bias.

The text was based on a report by a UN inquiry which said that Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in killing 189 Palestinians and wounding more than 6,100 at weekly protests last year.