In a blow to the US, which has consistently obstructed calls for a ceasefire in the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution to push for an immediate good for humanity ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza.
In the emergency special session of the General Assembly on Tuesday, 153 countries voted in favour of the ceasefire resolution, 10 against and 23 abstained.
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In contrast to a Security Council resolution, a vote in the General Assembly is not legally binding, despite being politically significant and perceived as carrying moral weight. Last week, the US vetoed a smaller Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire that had been supported by most of the influential group of 15 members.
In addition to demanding a ceasefire and all sides to abide by international law, Tuesday’s brief resolution also demands humanitarian access to the hostages and their “immediate and unconditional” release. Its wording is noticeably stronger than that of an assembly vote from October that had demanded a “sustained humanitarian truce.”
As the conflict between Hamas and Israel comes into its third month and as medical professionals and humanitarian organisations raise concerns about the humanitarian crisis in constricted Gaza, the vote—hailed as “historic” by Palestinian Envoy to the the United Nations Riyad Mansour—takes place. The health ministry in Gaza, which is under the control of Hamas, announced on Monday that more than 18,000 individuals had died since the fighting started.
According to Mansour, the resolution “does not ‘call for’ or ‘urges’ – it calls for, and that we will not take a break till we see conformity of Israel in fulfilling that demand.” He continued, saying that in order to deliver the “massive” amounts of humanitarian aid that Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population needs, a ceasefire is required.
Israel’s military campaign will not end until it destroys Hamas, the Palestinian organisation that rules Gaza. This comes after an attack on the country on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and approximately 240 kidnappings, according to Israeli officials. There are reportedly more than a hundred hostages held captive in Gaza.
Before the vote on Tuesday, Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, warned that “continuing Israel’s functioning in Gaza is the sole guarantee that any of the captives will be released” and called the resolution a “disgraceful” attempt to tie Israel’s hands.
Although it accepted a seven-day truce in exchange for the freeing of Israeli captives detained in Gaza, Israel has previously rejected calls for a ceasefire.
Together with the US, Austria, the Czech Republic, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, and Nauru, Israel voted against the resolution on Tuesday.
“A single, unwavering priority” in Gaza
As he began the emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the UN President Dennis Francis declared, “We have one singular emphasis – only one – to save lives,” cautioning that there is nowhere safe for Gaza’s civilian population to seek refuge from violence and aerial bombardment.
“There are rules in everything, even war, and we must not stray from these tenets and values, which are valid because they apply to everyone,” he declared.
According to UN officials, more Gaza individuals may die from illnesses than from missiles and bombs because of the destruction of essential infrastructure and the restricted access to food, medicine, and water. A rising problem in the enclave is hunger.
While acknowledging that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is terrible and that civilians must be safeguarded by international humanitarian law, US envoy to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield addressed the assembly and urged countries to back an amendment to the resolution denouncing Hamas, which was not passed.
“A truce now would be risky at worst and temporary at best,” the speaker stated. Perilous not only for Palestinians, who deserve the opportunity to create a brighter tomorrow for themselves, free from a group that conceals itself behind innocent civilians, but also for Israelis, who would face unrelenting attacks.
Canada, in contrast to its southern neighbour, voted in favour of the resolution and, along with the monarchs of Australia and New Zealand, released a statement endorsing “urgent international efforts towards an enduring ceasefire.”
Penny Wong, the foreign minister of Australia, stated that discussions regarding the matter had been ongoing between Australian and Canadian officials, as well as more recently with the new government in New Zealand.
“We believe it’s crucial that closely aligned allies and similar nations voice their support for the stance we’ve put forth,” Wong told reporters on Wednesday.
“As democratic nations, we hold ourselves to a high standard and anticipate that all of us will do our part to uphold international humanitarian law, which includes safeguarding civilian lives,” the speaker declared.
Bob Rae, the Canadian envoy to the UN, urged Hamas to give up its weapons and cease using people as “human shields.”
“The perpetual anguish of Palestinian civilians cannot be the price of annihilating Hamas,” he continued.
In the meantime, Mathu Joyini, the representative of South Africa, cited her nation’s “own agonising past experience of the legacy of apartheid” to emphasise to other nations the necessity of “taking action according to with international law.”
The opportunity to demonstrate that the group that was founded to promote peace is not insensitive to the afflicted of the most defenceless is what she saw as being presented by Tuesday’s vote.
Tagging the resolution as a “war of Genocide and racial cleansing” against the Palestinian people, Izzat Al-Rishq, the leader of the Hamas Political the Department, praised it in a brief statement.
US vetoes request for “humanitarian pause” in Israel-Hamas conflict from Security Council
A draft conclusion at the United Nations Security Council that advocated a humanitarian interrupt in assaulted Gaza was vetoed by the US, leading to increased criticism of political crippling in the influential international organisation.
The quick draft resolution, put forth by Brazil, called for the release of hostages held captive and denounced the terror attacks in Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 people, by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
In the face of an intense counterattack by Israeli warplanes, it also urged all sides to uphold international law and safeguard civilian lives in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas. It stated that in order to facilitate the delivery of aid, international organisations should arrange “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting.
On Wednesday, the draft was approved by twelve of the fifteen members of the council, with a veto from the US and the UK.
Following the vote, US envoy to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, gave a speech in which she clarified that the US desired additional time to allow its diplomatic efforts on the ground to “play out.” Voting on the legislation had previously been postponed by the US.
In addition, Thomas-Greenfield took issue with the text’s omission of Israel’s right to self-defense, a criticism that was later repeated by British delegate Barbara Woodward.
Israel has been launching airstrikes on Gaza under Hamas control ever since the Hamas attacks. Additionally, it has cut off the 2 million residents of the enclaves from basic supplies like food, water, and electricity.
UN experts are threatening a widespread tragedy if electricity and water are not reinstated. Over 3,000 people succumbed as a result of the Israeli strikes, including over 1,000 kids as well as dozens of aid workers.
The potential establishment of a humanitarian corridor, which would allow aid to enter Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing, has been the subject of days’ worth of negotiations between the US, Egypt, Israel, and the UN.
The Security Council’s inability to reach a consensus on the significance of aid as well as civilian protection angered and disappointed a number of its members in New York.
The council was regrettably, deeply regrettably unable to resolve these conflicts through adoption of a resolution yet again. Once more, indifference and apathy won out. Sergio Franca Danese, the UN ambassador to Brazil, stated after the veto that it was in no one’s genuine long-term interest.
After the vote, Nicolas de Rivière, the French representative, told the press that the Security Council “missed an opportunity.”
He expressed his profound regret that the text was turned down.
“We fully acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense. However, there is complete consistency when it comes to safeguarding civilians, allowing humanitarian access, and demanding adherence to humanitarian law around the world and the Geneva Conventions. This resolution was essentially accomplishing this, he continued.
The resolution was approved by the council despite not being a “perfect text,” according to United Arab Emirates ambassador Lana Nusseibah, who also stated that her nation had supported it because it “clearly declares fundamental principles which must be defended and which this Council has a responsibility to reinforce and uphold.”
Additionally, she expressed her hope that US diplomacy in the area would “help contribute us all off this the edge that we are pushing towards.”
The veto power exercised by each of the five permanent members of the UN often causes hindrances to the Security Council, which is the most powerful body within the UN. Regarding Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian vetoes have also obstructed recent draft resolutions.
Another resolution that called for a humanitarian truce in Gaza was put forth by Russia last week, but it was also rejected.
