The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war 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.
Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan shows a poster with the image of a Hamas leader on it as he speaks to delegates during the United Nations General Assembly expected to vote on ceasefire resolution, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in New York City, U.S., December 12, 2023. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war 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.
Washington does not have a veto in the General Assembly. It voted against the draft resolution, along with Israel and eight other countries. The text garnered 153 votes in favor, while 23 countries abstained from the vote.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war.
Israel has refused calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying such a call would allow Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip time to regroup and rearm.
"This resolution does not condemn Hamas. It doesn't even mention Hamas," said Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan in the General Assembly.
He then held aloft a placard with a telephone number and the name and image of Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip.
"If you want a real ceasefire, here is the right address," Erdan said. "Tell Hamas to put down their arms, turn themselves in, and return our hostages. This will bring a complete ceasefire that will last forever."
Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground offensive in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by 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.
Most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been driven from their homes and the United Nations has given dire warnings about the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave, saying that hundreds of thousands of people are starving.
Countries are still working on a U.N. Security Council mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and will decide on any troop deployments once a framework is complete, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.
Avishay Edri wants to move back to the kibbutz he evacuated in southern Israel after it was attacked by Palestinian gunmen two years ago, but is hesitating as fears persist that the war in nearby Gaza will resume and it will not be safe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Hezbollah was seeking to rearm and that Israel would exercise its right to self-defence under last year's ceasefire accord if Lebanon failed to disarm the militant group.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.