The United Nations General Assembly has given this Friday un backing loaded with more symbolism than practical effects to the Palestinians when approving a resolution, non-binding nor mechanisms to ensure its implementation and compliance, which calls for “an immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian truce leading to the cessation of hostilities”the protection of civilians and the fulfillment of humanitarian and legal obligations.
The vote, however, has also exposed the major gaps in the global community in the face of the open conflict in the Middle East since Israel responded with bombings and siege of Gaza to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks and hostage taking.
The approved resolution, prepared by Jordan and which comes just the day that Israel has intensified its bombing and announced that it will intensify the ground offensive, calls for allowing the access to fuel, food, water, medicine and electricity already ensure access for UN staff (when Israel announced the visa blockade). It also urges that Israel withdraw its evacuation orders from the north of the Strip from Gaza. And asks for maximum restraint from the parties and the liberation of all civilians.
120 countries, including Spain and France, have supported this text, which has had 14 opposition votes and before whom 45 nations have abstainedincluding Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
Just before the Assembly had rejected a Canadian amendment which proposed including a paragraph showing the “unequivocal” rejection and “condemnation” of the Hamas terrorist attacks and hostage taking, demanding that their “safety, well-being and humane treatment” be guaranteed for them. And that text (whose sponsorship Spain had joined at the last moment) has not reached the necessary two-thirds. It had 88 votes in favor, 55 against and 23 abstentions.
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This Friday’s votes came after the Security Councilthe 15-member body whose resolutions are binding, has failed in four attempts to approve texts to address the war conflict and the crisis in Gaza, where they are already more than 7,000 deads and the humanitarian situation is critical. The closer he got, With a resolution from Brazil, the US used its veto power. And this same week it was Russia and China that vetoed a US initiative that proposed “humanitarian pauses.” but there was no ceasefire and fuel was not included in the aid that they wanted to secure for Gaza.
The results promise another angry response from Israel, which on Thursday, in a speech by its ambassador at the Emergency session of the Assembly, had renewed its attacks on the UN, which has intensified in recent days, even calling for the resignation of its secretary general, António Guterres. The head of the Israeli diplomatic legation, Gilad Erdan, assured that it is a “broken and morally corrupt” organization.