The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has triggered outrage by holding a moment of silence for the “loss of innocent lives in the occupied Palestinian territory and elsewhere” - without mentioning Israel.

The silence was requested by Ambassador Zaman Mehdi, Pakistan's deputy representative to the UN, who suggested in a statement that Israel was responsible for the deaths.

The whole chamber appeared to stand up at Mehdi’s request, including the representatives of Germany, Belgium, France, Finland, Argentina, the UAE, Mexico and Morocco.

The Anti-Defamation League hit out at the UNHRC, saying it was “blatantly ignoring the nearly 1,000 people in Israel who were brutally massacred by Hamas, and the over 150 innocent people taken hostage into Gaza.”

On Monday afternoon, the @UN Human Rights Council observed a moment of silence for the loss of innocent lives in the occupied Palestinian territory and elsewhere.#HRC54 pic.twitter.com/9cgQDoQAyF

— United Nations Human Rights Council | 📍 #HRC54 (@UN_HRC) October 9, 2023

The Times of Israel reported that Mehdi’s statement blamed Israel for the attack and “breeding violence,” without mentioning Israel by name at any point. The statement makes no mention of Israeli victims, terror or Hamas.

Mehdi called for the silence on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, representing 57 countries.

The UNHRC in Geneva and UN General Assembly have a long history of targeting Israel, with more condemnations and investigations directed at the Jewish state than any other country.