RAMALLAH, Palestine

The Palestinian Authority has decried a U.S. decision to unilaterally withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council, saying the move exposes the U.S. bias toward Israel.

“The U.S. withdrawal from the UN rights council exposes the extent to which this administration is willing to go to shield Israel from accountability,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the UN rights council, accusing the body of being hypocritical and biased against Israel.

“This additional step of bias against Palestinian rights will further embolden Israel to pursue its human rights violations,” the ministry said.

Relations have strained between the Palestinian Authority and the U.S. since the latter relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last month.

Israel, for its part, welcomed the U.S. move, describing it as a “courageous decision against the hypocrisy and the lies” of the UN rights council.

“For years, the UNHRC has proven to be a biased, hostile, anti-Israel organization that has betrayed its mission of protecting human rights,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

The U.S. decision to withdraw from the UN rights council came following long-continued discussions between the U.S. and UN members both in New York and Geneva, where the council is based.

It also followed uproar over President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policy, which is causing major human rights abuses by separating children from undocumented parents who crossed the U.S. border seeking a better life.