The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday will debate a Palestinian request to investigate into “all violations” of human rights and humanitarian law that they say have been committed by Israel during its military offensive in Gaza.

Israel lobbied hard to prevent the meeting from taking place, however the Palestinians managed to get the backing of more than enough nations to hold the meeting.  And although Australia, the US, and many other western states are expected to oppose the draft, it does appear that the Palestinian mission has the votes to pass it.

The Palestinian observer mission to the United Nations is asking the forum to dispatch a team “to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014.”

The kidnapping and killing of three Israeli boys in the West bank and the subsequent revenge murder of a Palestinian teen all occurred before that date.  Israel has charged three settlers with the latter crime, and is still seeking suspects in the former.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will open the emergency meeting of the Human Rights Council.  She has recently said that Israeli strikes on Gaza may break international laws banning the targeting of civilians.  Israel has only returned to cooperating with the council last October, after boycotting it for 20 months over accusations of bias.