Washington does not have veto power in the General Assembly. 153 countries supported the ceasefire resolution, Israel and eight other countries opposed it, while 23 countries abstained from voting.
Washington’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the General Assembly before the vote that there are aspects of the resolution that the United States supports, such as the need to urgently address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, protect civilians, and release hostages.
But she added, “Any ceasefire at the present time will be temporary at best, dangerous at worst, and dangerous for the Israelis, who will be subjected to relentless attacks. It will also be dangerous for the Palestinians, who deserve the opportunity to build a better future for themselves away from Hamas.”
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, described the General Assembly’s resolution as a “historic day.”
Mansour told reporters after the issuance of this non-binding resolution, “Today was a historic day in terms of the strong message sent by the General Assembly. It is our collective duty to continue on this path until we see an end to this aggression against our people.”
In Ramallah, the Palestinian presidency welcomed the resolution, calling on the countries that voted in favor of the resolution to oblige Israel to implement it.
Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq said in a statement that Hamas welcomes the United Nations’ demand for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons in Gaza and urges the international community to continue to pressure Israel to adhere to the resolution.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding, but they have political weight and express a global point of view on the war.
#General #Assembly #calls #humanitarian #ceasefire #Gaza
2023-12-12 21:44:40
