Nigeria and 119 other Member States of the United Nations have unanimously voted in favour of a resolution urging an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The resolution also emphasizes the continuous and unhindered provision of lifesaving supplies and services to the innocent civilians trapped in the enclave, as reports suggest that Israel has intensified its bombing campaign and expanded ground operations in the region.
Drafted by Jordan, the resolution secured an overwhelming support with 120 votes in favour, 14 votes against, and 45 abstentions. Although the adopted resolution is non-binding, it symbolizes the first formal response from the UN to the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas. This response comes after the repeated failure of the Security Council to reach a consensus on any action during the previous four occasions.
Despite the majority support for the resolution, an amendment proposed by Canada, backed by over 35 Member States including the United States, seeking to explicitly condemn Hamas, did not receive the required two-thirds support and thus failed to pass. During the debate, countries presented arguments both for and against the amendment, explaining their positions on the adopted resolution.
Several nations took the floor earlier to highlight the dire impact of the crisis on civilians and emphasize the urgent need to ensure the flow of aid into Gaza where supplies of food, water, and fuel are dangerously low. The United States stated that after the current crisis is resolved, a return to the previous status quo is not possible and emphasized the importance of working towards a two-State solution.
Mahmoud Hmoud, the UN Ambassador of Jordan, called for immediate action on the resolution due to the escalating situation on the ground. While resolutions by the General Assembly are not legally binding, they serve as a measure of global opinion.
Ghana’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, Carolyn Oppong-Ntir, expressed her delegation’s support for the resolution, stating that the humanitarian crisis in Israel and Palestine cannot be ignored. She emphasized that the international community has a responsibility to help end the heart-wrenching tragedies and must work towards resuming and concluding a peace agreement to advance the two-State solution.
Similarly, France’s Ambassador, Nicolas de Rivière, spoke in favor of the resolution, stating that nothing justifies the killing of civilians. He stressed the need for collective efforts to establish a humanitarian truce, highlighting the catastrophic situation in Gaza. France has already dispatched an aid vessel and called on the Assembly to demand the release of hostages. However, de Rivière acknowledged that the adoption of this resolution cannot replace the efforts of the Security Council, and hoped that the Council would reach a decision to prevent a further escalation of the situation.
In response to the resolution’s passing, Gilad Erdan, the Ambassador of Israel to the UN, criticized the decision and questioned its legitimacy. Erdan argued that the resolution failed to mention Hamas and disregarded Israel’s right to self-defense. He emphasized that there can be no discussions with Hamas and that Israel will not tolerate further atrocities. Erdan called on those interested in preventing violence to hold Hamas accountable and urged them to lay down their arms, turn themselves in, and release all hostages, asserting that this would lead to an immediate end to the conflict.
The Emergency Special Session will continue on Tuesday, providing an opportunity for further discussion and action on the ongoing crisis.
