UN General Assembly pushes for ‘unconditional’ ceasefire in Gaza

Nearly 45,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s war against Hamas

The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in the hope of ending the 14-month war. 

The non-binding document approved on Wednesday by a vote of 158-9, with 13 abstentions, calls for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” and urges “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The General Assembly took action after the US vetoed a similarly worded document in the UN Security Council last month. Washington argued at the time that it would not endorse a deal not directly linked to the release of all remaining Israeli hostages by Hamas. The US reaffirmed its position during Wednesday’s vote, with Ambassador Robert Wood describing the resolution as “shameful and wrong.” 

“At a time when Hamas is feeling isolated due to the ceasefire in Lebanon, the draft resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza risks sending a dangerous message to Hamas that there’s no need to negotiate or release the hostages,” Wood told the General Assembly.

Israel’s envoy, Danny Danon, also argued that an unconditional ceasefire would only benefit Hamas. “The vote today is not a vote for compassion. It is a vote for complicity,” he said.

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Nearly 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces since October 2023, according to local Hamas-run authorities. The UN has repeatedly warned about the dire humanitarian situation in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, with the organization’s Middle East peace coordinator, Muhannad Hadi, telling the Security Council last month, “as winter approaches, the horror in Gaza continues to grind on with no end in sight.”

Israel has insisted that its operation in Gaza will continue until all hostages are rescued and the threats to the Jewish state from Hamas and allied groups are eliminated.

The war broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israeli cities, killing some 1,200 people and abducting over 250. According to Israeli officials, around 100 hostages remain in captivity.