NEW YORK – The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and well as “ensuring humanitarian access” to Gaza as Israeli forces continues bombardment in the region.
The UNGA met on Tuesday in Emergency Special Session on the decades long Israel-Palestine conflict and as the ongoing crisis in Gaza shows no signs of abating.
The resolution was passed with a large majority of 153 in favour and 10 against, with 23 abstentions.
The resolution also reiterated the General Assembly’s demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians”.
Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador, explaining his country’s position before the votes, said he was confident the “vast majority” of the UN membership would vote for the resolution.
He said it was a matter of “deep regret, that some friends of Israel have introduced amendments to once again condemn only one side but exonerate the other.”
He said he was confident that most Members will not agree to place blame only on Hamas, but blame Israel for their role in the bombardment of the “open air prison” that is Gaza.
Following the pause, projectiles of death have rained down on Gaza from Israel’s war machine he said.
“This is a war against the Palestinian people”, he said. “Israel’s goal is to erase not only a people but the entire idea of Palestine. It’s campaign is a carbon copy of the massive campaigns of racial slaughter by other settler colonial regimes in history”, he added.
