Taking over from the paralyzed Security Council, the UN General Assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly called for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, a non-binding text aimed at putting pressure on Israel and its US ally.
The resolution was adopted by 153 votes in favor, 10 against (including Israel and the United States), and 23 abstentions out of 193 member states, while a U.S. amendment to add a condemnation of the October 7 "heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas" was rejected. As announced earlier by the head of French diplomacy in the National Assembly, France voted in favour of this resolution.
BREAKING: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as well as immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
FOR: 153 AGAINST: 10
ABSTAIN: 23
LIVE COVERAGEhttps://t.co/ZqtRtIawGx pic.twitter.com/rAdk8BEmDL
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 12, 2023
On Friday, a UN Security Council resolution calling for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza was rejected in part because of the US veto.
"We do not support a resolution that calls for an unsustainable ceasefire that will simply plant the seeds of the next war," Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood said.
Gaza shelled night and day
After the unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which Israeli authorities said killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, Israel imposed a "complete siege" and heavily shelled the Gaza Strip, reducing large areas to rubble.
According to Hamas' health ministry, whose death toll is not verifiable, more than 18,400 people have lost their lives in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war.
The U.S. veto has angered many heads of state and leaders. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday lamented the "paralysis" of the United Nations. "As long as America supports the crimes of the Zionist regime and the continuation of the war... there is the possibility of an uncontrollable explosion of the situation in the region," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said. Tehran supports Hamas and is suspected of supplying it with weapons.