UN Rights Body to Hold Emergency Meeting on Gaza

Jan 07, 2009 11:49 AM EST

GENEVA – Officials say the U.N.'s top human rights body will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in crisis-hit Gaza.

About two-thirds of the U.N. Human Rights Council's 47 members have requested the special Friday session.

Diplomats say the meeting will consider a resolution condemning the Israeli military offensive in Gaza in which more than 600 people have been killed.

The rights council has passed three resolutions condemning actions by the Jewish state since the body's creation in 2006. The United States has accused the Geneva-based group of bias against Israel and has scaled back participation in the council's meetings.

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