The United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday voted to condemn Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip and called for the release of Palestinian officials and civilians arrested during the offensive.

In a resolution adopted by 29 votes to 11, the 47-member Council demanded a halt to Israel's military operation and decided to "dispatch an urgent fact-finding mission by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory".

Five countries abstained in the vote, which came as Israeli tanks and troops pressed deeper into Gaza in their biggest thrust since Israel pulled out of the territorylast year.

The resolution brought by Islamic states expressed "grave concern at the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people caused by the Israeli occupation, including the current extensive Israeli military operations".

The Council urged "Israel, the occupying power, to immediately release the arrested Palestinian ministers," lawmakers and "all other arrested Palestinian civilians".

The text also called "for a negotiated solution to the current crisis".

The flare-up in the Middle East split the newly-formed Human Rights Council in its first ever special session as attempts to broker a consensus failed.

Despite concern about the impact of the offensive, Western countries opposed the resolution or abstained, complaining of bias because it failed to consider the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier that led to military action, or to urge a halt to attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis.

In text added at the last moment in an unsuccessful bid to placate European concerns, the resolution urged "all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law and to refrain from violence against civilians".