In a decisive move, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a call that the UN Security Council has so far failed to achieve.
According to reports from Al Jazeera, 153 out of 193 countries in the General Assembly voted in favor of the resolution on Tuesday. Notably, the United States and Israel were among the 10 countries opposing the resolution, while 23 nations chose to abstain.
The resolution, issued by the General Assembly, urges an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” the protection of civilians, the facilitation of humanitarian aid access, and the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages.
This resolution responds to an unprecedented appeal made by the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to the Security Council. Guterres expressed his concern about the “complete and imminent collapse of the general order” in the Gaza Strip through a letter sent under Article 99 of the UN Charter.
Previously, Washington had exercised its veto power (“veto”) against a similar resolution in the Security Council last week. However, the General Assembly, where the veto power is not applicable, holds political weight, expressing a global opinion on the conflict.
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