The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Tuesday in favor of a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The text passed with 153 votes in favor, while 23 countries abstained from the vote.
Israel voted against the resolution, along with eight other countries and the United States, which vetoed a similar resolution at the United Nations Security Council last week.
In his opening speech, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliky said that the situation in Gaza is “horrific” and denounced the failure of the international community to “bear its responsibility.”
Many countries, including Bahrain, Tunisia, Cuba, Venezuela, Algeria, the Philippines, and Turkiye, spoke in support of the Palestinians.
BREAKING: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, as well as immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
FOR: 153
AGAINST: 10
ABSTAIN: 23LIVE COVERAGEhttps://t.co/ZqtRtIawGx pic.twitter.com/rAdk8BEmDL
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 12, 2023
According to Al-Jazeera, French and British envoys did attend the meeting but did not speak.
The Saudi Foreign Minister reportedly stressed that “the bitter reality in the Gaza Strip will affect international security and the credibility of United Nations bodies by allowing the selective implementation of international law.”
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed his support for Hamas, which he described as the Palestinian Liberation Movement.
🚨PALESTINE CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT:
🔴A number of Palestinians were killed and wounded following an Israeli strike targeting Ain Jalout Towers east of the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza.
🔴Four people were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Maqdad family in… pic.twitter.com/9MLTAAUUoP
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 12, 2023
“War is not the solution. Israel and the United States will never be able to eliminate Hamas. There is only a political solution,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 18,412 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50,000 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, AJA)
UNGA vote: we salute the 153, pity the 23 and reject the 10
Who should be considered as aiding and abetting the war crimes being committed by Israel . All products of the 10 should be boycotted with immediate effect.