India joined Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to vote for a Palestinian-drafted resolution on "Ensuring Respect for international law in The Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem".
Supporting calls for an immediate ceasefire, India said it is "deeply concerned at the steep escalation of violence between Israel and Palestine, particularly heavy airstrikes in Gaza and disproportionate use of force on ground, resulting in tragic loss of civilian lives, especially women and children and heavy damage to property."
It said it was concerned by the violence by non-state actors in the region and the human rights violation in Occupied Palestine Territory including East Jerusalem.
"We call upon all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid taking actions that may further exacerbate the situation, and threaten peace and security of the region. India remains firmly convinced that dialogue remains the only viable option that can effectively address the issues confronting the region and its people," the statement said.
In the 46-member human rights council, 29 countries voted in support of the resolution while 17 nations abstained.
The United States was the only nation to vote against the resolution. European countries abstained.
Over 680 Palestinians and 30 Israelis have been killed in the 16-day conflict at the Gaza Strip, with both Israel and Hamas refusing to back down.
India's strong stand at the UN comes after the government on Monday blocked in Parliament the opposition's effort to move a resolution condemning the death of women and children in Gaza, with Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj underscoring that there was no question of taking sides when India's policy had been to maintain friendly ties with Israel while also supporting the Palestinian cause.
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