The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement hailed on Sunday the decision of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to add Israel to the list of human rights abusers, Quds Press has reported. Hamas described this as an important step that exposes the real face of the Israeli occupation authorities and their treatment of the Palestinians.

“Putting Israel on the list of entities which violate human rights and human rights activists confirms that the Palestinian people are oppressed [under the Israeli occupation],” insisted the movement.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called on the international community and institutions, including the International Criminal Court, to hold Israel to account for its violations and to implement measures to “punish” the Zionist state. He stressed the importance of supporting the efforts of the Palestinian people to obtain their freedom and regain their “stolen” rights.

The UNHRC added Israel to a human rights blacklist on Wednesday. The list includes 20 countries which “systematically take revenge measures against human rights activists who cooperate with the UN.”

In March, Fox News reported that the UNHRC called Israel “the worst human rights violator in the world today.”