Gaza: UN General Assembly Votes In Favour Of Ceasefire

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.

The resolution passed with 153 countries voting in favour, 23 abstaining and 10 countries voting against, including Israel and the United States. While the resolution is non-binding, it serves as an indicator of global opinion.

“We thank all those who supported the draft resolution that was just adopted by a huge majority,” Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil said in remarks following the vote.

“This reflects the international position to call for the enforcement of this resolution.”

The vote comes as international pressure builds on Israel to end its months-long assault on Gaza, where more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of them women and children. More than 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have also been displaced.

Relentless air strikes and an Israeli siege have created humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory that UN officials have called “hell on earth”.

The Israeli military offensive has severely restricted access to food, fuel, water and electricity to the Gaza Strip.

In remarks, however, Biden sharpened his criticism of the US ally, saying that Israel was losing international support due to “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza.

The US, which has strongly criticised Russia for similar actions in Ukraine, has been accused of employing a double standard on human rights.

“With each step, the US looks more isolated from the mainstream of UN opinion,” Richard Gowan, the UN director at the International Crisis Group, an NGO, said.

ALJAZEERA