UN General Assembly votes to demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The United Nations General Assembly has suggested to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in war- torn Gaza, in a reproach to the United States which has constantly blocked ceasefire calls in the UN’s Security Council.

A maturity of 153 nations suggested for the ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly’s emergency special session Tuesday, while 10 suggested against and 23 abstained.

While a General Assembly vote is politically significant and seen as applying moral weight, it's null, unlike a Security Council resolution. The US last week nixed a ceasefire resolution in the lower Security Council, which had been approved by a maturity of the important 15- member body.

Tuesday’s brief resolution calls for a ceasefire, for all parties to act up with international law, and for humanitarian access to hostages as well as their “ immediate and unconditional ” release. It especially contains stronger language than an October vote in the assembly that had called for a “ sustained humanitarian truce. ”

The vote, hailed as “ major ” by Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, comes as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its third month, and as croakers

and aid groups sound alarm bells on the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza. further than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since fighting broke out, the Hamas- controlled health ministry in the enclave said Monday.

The resolution “ doesn't ‘ call for ’ or ‘ urges ’- it demands, and we will not rest until we see compliance of Israel with this demand, ” Mansour said. A ceasefire is necessary to move the “ massive ” amounts of humanitarian backing demanded by Gaza’s besieged greedy population, he added.

Israel has said it will not stop its military campaign until it eradicates Palestinian group Hamas, which controls Gaza, following its October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 kidnapped , according to Israeli authorities. Over 100 hostages are allowed

to remain in captivity in Gaza.

Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan described the

resolution as a “ shy ” attempt to bind Israel’s hands, advising that “ continuing Israel’s operation in Gaza is the only way any hostages will be released. ”

Israel has rejected former calls for a ceasefire, though it agreed to a seven- day truce for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Israel suggested against Tuesday’s resolution along with the US, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Austria, the Czech Republic, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia and Nauru.

‘ One singular priority ’

“ We have one singular priority – only one – to save lives, ” said General Assembly President Dennis Francis, opening the emergency session on Tuesday afterlife, advising that civilians in Gaza have nowhere safe to shelter from the fighting and upstanding hail.

" Indeed war has rules, and it's imperative that we help any divagation from these principles and values – the validity of which resides in their universal operation, ” he said.

With vital structure blasted to debris and limited access to water, medicine and food, farther Gaza civilians may end up dying of conditions than from disasters and dumdums, UN officers have advised. Hunger is a growing issue in the enclave.

Addressing the assembly, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas- Greenfield said that Washington does “ agree that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire and that civilians must be defended with international humanitarian law, ” but urged nations to support an correction to the resolution condemning Hamas, which did not pass.

” A ceasefire right now would be temporary at best, and dangerous at worst, ” she said. “ Dangerous to Israelis, who would be subject to grim attacks, and also dangerous to Palestinians who earn the chance to make a better future for themselves free from a group that hides behind innocent civilians. ”

In a break with its southern neighbor, Canada cast its vote in support of the resolution, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issuing a common statement with the leaders of Australia and New Zealand in support of “ critical international sweats towards a sustainable ceasefire. ”

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australian officers had been engaging with Canadian officers for some time on the issue, and more recently with New Zealand’s new government.

“ We suppose that it’s important that truly close abettors and likeminded countries speak together in support of the position that we ’ve articulated, ” Wong told intelligencers Wednesday.

“ We are democracy, and we anticipate of ourselves a high standard, and we anticipate that we will each work to act up with international humanitarian law, including the protection of greedy life, ” she said.

Canadian minister to the UN Bob Rae called on Hamas to lay down its munitions and stop using civilians as “ mortal securities. ”

He added “ The price of defeating Hamas can't be the continuous suffering of Palestinian civilians. ”

South Africa’s representative Mathu Joyini meanwhile invoked her country’s “ own painful formerly experience of a system of dogmatism ” to impress on fellow countries the need to “ take action in agreement with international law. ”

Tuesday’s vote, she said, “ presents an occasion for us to illustrate that the association that was created to give expedient for peace is not tone- deaf to the suffering of the most vulnerable. ”

In a short statement, Izzat Al- Rishq, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, ate the resolution and condemned what he nominated as a “ war of genocide and racial sanctification ” against the Palestinian people.