The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Saturday in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister slams the resolution as ‘despicable’.
The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Saturday in favor of a resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustainable humanitarian truce” in Gaza.
The 193-member body passed the resolution, drafted by a group of 22 Arab countries, by a margin of 120 to 14, with 45 countries abstaining. The United States and Israel voted no.
The UNGA resolution also stressed the need to avoid a wider escalation in the fighting and demanded increased humanitarian aid for Gaza, where only a small handful of trucks carrying aid have been allowed to enter over the last week.
A Canadian-introduced amendment to the resolution, aimed at condemning the Hamas attack, did not receive the necessary two-thirds majority.
We reject outright the UN General Assembly despicable call for a ceasefire.
Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS.— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) October 27, 2023
Although the resolution is not binding, it carries political weight, as it highlights the degree of international isolation of Israel and the US.
Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan said that “a ceasefire means giving Hamas time to rearm itself,” adding that the vote was not intended to bring peace but to “tie Israel’s hands”.
A clear majority of Member States have voted FOR a UNGA resolution calling for a humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire. #Israel #Gaza pic.twitter.com/oRPkNW8wJH
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) October 27, 2023
Israel has, thus far, killed 7,703 Palestinians in Gaza, including 3,195 children, and wounded over 19,743 more.
Palestinian Ministry of Health reports and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
On Friday night, Israel intensified airstrikes and expanded its ground operations in Gaza, while knocking out all communications for Palestinians in the besieged Strip.
Gaza has been under a tight Israeli military siege since 2007, following a democratic election in occupied Palestine, the results of which were rejected by Tel Aviv and Washington.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
