The UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution on Friday, with the support of 120 countries, which calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The text calls for “an immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian ceasefire leading to an end to hostilities”. 14 countries voted against and 45 countries abstained.
Jordan authored the draft resolution, which had to have the support of two thirds of the UN members present in the room.
Norway is among the 120 countries that voted for the Jordanian resolution.
Israel reacts strongly
Canada presented its proposal to amend the text because the Jordanian draft did not name Hamas. The Jordanian formulation, which was thus adopted, does not mention Hamas.
Israel has rejected the text of the resolution because it does not mention Hamas. “The only place this resolution belongs is in the dustbin of history,” Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan said on Thursday.
In Canada’s supplementary proposal to the resolution, it was stated that it “unilaterally rejects and condemns Hamas’ terrorist attack” and the Islamist group’s abduction of hostages on 7 October. Canada’s proposal further called for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners.
– The UN no longer has legitimacy or relevance after the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution. The poll shows that the majority supports defending Nazi terrorists instead of Israel, says Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan.
– This is a gloomy day for the UN and for humanity, he says further, and promises that Israel will use “all means” in the fight against Hamas.
In an article on X, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen characterizes the resolution as “shameful” and writes that Israel will continue the work to crush Hamas, “the way the world crushed the Nazis and IS”.
Hamas, for its part, welcomes the voting results from the UN.
– We demand that it be implemented immediately so that fuel and emergency aid for civilians can get in, says Hamas in a statement.
Wide support
The UN General Assembly gathered for an emergency session that started on Thursday. A large number of countries have since made submissions. A large number of countries still remain on the list of speakers, among them Norway.
The posts were interrupted by the voting on Friday evening Norwegian time. It happened after Jordan argued that this was an urgent matter.
– The resolution calls for an immediate halt to the hostilities. This is important, among other things, to ensure that humanitarian assistance can enter Gaza. The negotiations on the text of the resolution have been characterized by different views among UN member states. That’s not surprising in such a polarizing conflict. Norway has engaged in this work, to get a resolution in place that has broad support in the international community, says the foreign minister.
Intense air strikes
While the UN General Assembly discussed the situation, internet access and telephone lines were cut on Friday evening in large parts of the Gaza Strip. The news agency AFP’s live pictures showed intense Israeli airstrikes in the north of the Gaza Strip on Friday evening. According to Al Jazeera, the ongoing airstrikes are unprecedented.
Israel has deployed several hundred thousand soldiers along the border with the Gaza Strip in anticipation of a long-announced ground operation aimed at defeating Hamas after the attack on Israel on 7 October.
Hamas stated earlier in the evening that it had fired several rockets at Israel.
2023-10-27 22:00:11
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