GENEVA, March 23 (Xinhuanet) -- The 60th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR) approved on Tuesday afternoon to hold a special sitting on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    The decision was made following the assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Monday morning.

    After the decision was adopted by a 34-3 vote, with 14 abstentions, Commission Chairperson Mike Smith announced that the special sitting would be held on Wednesday morning.

    Voting against the proposal were the United States, Eritrea, and Australia.

    Among the abstaining countries were members of the European Union. A Representative of Ireland, speaking on behalf of the EU, said the Union condemned the assassination, but the Commission wasshortly to take up its agenda item on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Israeli Apache helicopters fired three missiles at Yassin and killed him at dawn Monday as he was leaving a mosque near his house in Gaza City. Enditem