United Nations, Dec 13:
India, on Tuesday, voted in favour of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict as well as the unconditional release of all hostages.
The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, introduced by Egypt, at an Emergency Special Session here Tuesday. The resolution was adopted with 153 votes in favour, while 23 nations abstained and 10 voted against the text.
The resolution, sponsored among others by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians.” It also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”
The resolution however did not name Hamas and the US proposed an amendment to the draft resolution, calling for the insertion of the paragraph: “Unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages” in the main text. India voted in favour of the amendment.
In October, India had abstained in the General Assembly on a resolution that had called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the resolution and urged countries to pressure Israel to comply. A Hamas official in exile, Izzat El-Reshiq, in a statement on Telegram echoed that reaction, saying Israel should “stop its aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing against our people.”
The US and Israel, which argue a ceasefire only benefits Hamas, voted against the measure along with eight other countries.
Before the UN vote, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said: “A ceasefire means one thing and one thing only – ensuring the survival of Hamas, ensuring the survival of genocidal terrorists committed to the annihilation of Israel and Jews.”
Before the resolution, US President Joe Biden had said that Israel now has support from “most of the world” including the US and European Union for its fight against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“But they’re starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” he told a campaign donor event in Washington.
