UN Adopts Resolution Demanding Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas after more than three-quarters of the 193-member General Assembly backed the move, which had been vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week.

The United States does not have a veto in the UN General Assembly. It voted against the resolution, along with Israel and eight other countries. The resolution was adopted to a round of applause with 153 votes in favor, while 23 countries abstained from the vote.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour, citing large pro-Palestinian protests around the world, said the US could not continue "to ignore this massive power." He described the UN General Assembly vote as a culmination of public sentiment.

"It is our collective duty to continue on this path until we see an end to this aggression against our people, to see this war stopping against our people. It is our duty to save lives," he told reporters, with Arab ambassadors standing alongside him.

US President Joe Biden earlier told a fundraising event for his 2024 re-election campaign that Israel was losing international support because of "indiscriminate bombing that takes place."

Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege, and launched a ground offensive in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian resistance group Hamas that Israel says killed 1,200 people and saw 240 people taken hostage.

Gaza's health ministry says 18,205 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 50,000 wounded.

UNGA resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view of the war. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has long called for a humanitarian ceasefire and last week made the rare move to warn the Security Council of the global threat posed by the war.

The General Assembly resolution demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and that the warring parties comply with international law, specifically concerning the protection of civilians. It also addressed the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The US and Austria attempted to amend the text but failed to get the two-thirds majority support needed to pass. Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram argued against both the proposed amendments to name Hamas, saying that any blame "has to be placed on both parties, especially on Israel."

Most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been forcibly displaced from their homes and the UN has given dire warnings about the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, saying that hundreds of thousands of people are starving.

Meanwhile, The US and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. The previous temporary truce lasted for seven days, during which Hamas released some hostages while some Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons.  

REUTERS

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