The General Assembly called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, reiterated its demand for the immediate release of all hostages and demanded that Israel allow the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to continue its humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank without restrictions.
The 193-member body continued its consideration of the topic "Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory" at its tenth extraordinary session (for background information, see press release GA/12663) and adopted two resolutions on it, which were voted on the record.
In the first text, entitled "Demand for a ceasefire in Gaza" ( A/ES-10/L.33), which was adopted by 158 votes in favour, nine against (Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, United States) and 13 abstentions, the Assembly demanded immediate access to basic humanitarian assistance for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The Assembly stressed that UNRWA remains the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and rejected actions that undermine the agency's mandate. The Assembly also reiterated its commitment to the vision of a two-state solution in which Gaza would be part of a Palestinian state and in which two democratic states, Palestine and Israel, would live side by side in peace.
The Assembly also adopted a text entitled "Support for the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" ( A/ES-10/L.32) - 159 votes in favour, nine against (Argentina, Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, United States of America), 11 abstentions - calling on the Israeli Government to comply with its international obligations. It stressed that, at a time of heightened conflict and instability in the Middle East, the Agency continued to play an indispensable role in alleviating the plight of more than six million Palestinian refugees, and urged immediate efforts to address the Agency's financial and operational crisis.
Disappointment at the Security Council stalemate and the repeated failure to end the atrocities in Gaza
Before the vote, speakers such as Vietnamese, disappointment that the Security Council is not fulfilling its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security, as the use of the veto continues to prevent any action. He called on the Council to break the current stalemate and bring decisive and comprehensive action to resolve the multifaceted crisis in Gaza and the wider Middle East.
Delegate of Zimbabwe said last month's vetoed draft Council resolution "would lay the groundwork" for a solution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Speaker of Colombia said the Council was stagnating on a decision that would "mean the difference between life and death, between reason and atrocities". "We must override the veto because the veto is a colonial and anti-democratic mechanism that hinders the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Security Council," he stressed.
Checking the use of the veto in undermining multilateralism
The need to control the use of the veto was also voiced by many other speakers, as delegates such as Delegate of Saudi Arabia, highlighted its role in undermining multilateralism and threatening the "legitimacy and credibility of the world order". The veto has been used more than once in the last 14 months to prevent any real and substantial action in Gaza.
"While a veto can stop a resolution, it cannot silence the truth or diminish the urgency of justice," she said the representative of Turkeystressing that history will remember those who do not act and those who 'stood on the side of peace'.
Representative of the Russian Federation - one of the five permanent veto-wielding members of the Council - recalled that the veto is a tool that was designed by "the founding fathers of the United Nations not to give your friends a licence to kill civilians". It was created to ensure that Security Council decisions are balanced. "Unfortunately, the United States has not realized this and is using it to support the Israeli military machine," He added.
"There is no justification," He said Chinese delegate the use of the veto by the United States 'because Gaza has been reduced to rubble' and more than 40 000 people have been killed. "The world cannot return to jungle rule," he stressed.
The representative of the United Statesspeaking before the adoption of the resolutions, said that at a time when Hamas felt isolated because of the ceasefire in Lebanon, the draft resolution on the Gaza ceasefire "risks sending a dangerous message" to the group that there is no need to negotiate or release hostages. Therefore, it would be "shameful and wrong" if today's Assembly vote "justifies Hamas' cynical strategy of delays and obstruction". He continued that the 193-member body should adopt a resolution that would increase the pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement without conditions and further delays, not relieve it of them. "Israel is fighting Hamas, not UNRWA," he said, urging that aid workers not be targeted.
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Call for the unconditional release of all hostages
Other speakers, such as the representative of Malaysia, called for the unconditional release of all hostages, pointing out that the hostages held by Hamas are citizens of various UN Member States, including his country. He also noted with concern the escalating violence in the West Bank, where Israeli settlers are "becoming increasingly emboldened and violent" in their attacks and harassment of Palestinians.
Deploring the advocacy of the annexation of Palestinian land
Speakers also deplored senior Israeli officials who publicly advocate the annexation of Palestinian land and stressed the need to hold them accountable. Irish delegatewho introduced resolution L.32, said the world community "can and must do better", adding that international humanitarian law "should guide all our actions". Speaker Indonesiawho introduced the text "L.33", said: "It is time to change the trajectory and save two million children, women and men in Gaza."
Condemnation of the Israeli invasion of Syria
Against the backdrop of rapidly evolving developments in Syria and in line with the views of several other speakers, he condemned the representative of Iran "the aggression and invasion of the Israeli occupying forces against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria". Israel must be held accountable for the destruction of infrastructure and the continued occupation of the Golan, an act that is a clear violation of internationally agreed instruments.
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Calls for continued focus on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza
As the world's attention may have shifted to other events in the region, member states urged the UN to focus on the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which is becoming more deadly by the day, he stressed Delegate from the United Arab Emirates. It is "shockingly, prices of basic foodstuffs in Gaza have climbed by more than 1,000 percent since October 2023", He added.
"Gaza has become a piece of hell," He stressed Delegate of Yemen and he pointed out that the smell of death is everywhere. Israel, the occupying power that believes itself above the law, weaponised hunger as an instrument of war. He urged all states to end the bloodbath and "take a united stand to achieve peace", welcomed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the matter and condemned the ban on UNRWA - "the lifeline of millions of refugees".
Icelandic speaker said that her government had more than doubled humanitarian contributions to the occupied Palestinian territory since the beginning of the conflict and called for a review of recent Israeli legislation regarding UNRWA. It is "unbelievable" that the Assembly is holding another emergency session after 14 months of conflict.
Israel: The resolutions adopted are beyond logic
In the explanation of vote before the vote Representative of Israel said that the resolutions adopted were "beyond logic" and contradicted all notions of morality and the evidence his delegation had presented to the Assembly for years. Voting for them is not about protecting humanitarian values, but about protecting an organisation that is now a 'haven of terror' and 'an entity hopelessly infiltrated by Hamas'.
It is a vote for complicity and not for compassion, he went on to say, stressing that by calling for a ceasefire today without addressing the hostages, the Assembly "will once again side with those who are arming against human suffering." He held in his hand a bundle of letters written by his Government to UNRWA leadership, each warning of terrorist activities in the Agency and a "clear call to action", and regretted "that nothing has been done". The agency had not acted as requested. "To side with UNRWA today is to side with Hamas," He added, stressing that to demand a ceasefire while ignoring the hostages is to 'give up terror'. "The future for Gaza must be without Hamas, but it must also be without UNRWA - without its complicity," He said.
UN/ gnews - RoZ
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