NEW YORK – United Nations General Assembly holds an emergency special session at its headquarters in New York where over 150 countries voted in favour for resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
As the US, Tel Aviv, and some European nations opposed the resolution, the majority of countries stood with Palestinians as the death toll soared to over 18,000.
UN resolution calls for humanitarian ceasefire for both sides to comply with international law, and for humanitarian access to hostages as well as their immediate and unconditional release, a statement said.
Palestine government hailed the voting as the war enters third month, and aid groups sound alarm bells on the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
In a statement, the UN said the resolution was drafted by Egypt and included about 100 co-sponsors. It was a short and straightforward resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The countries that voted in favour are Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Republic of Moldova, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Those who voted against the voting includes Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Israel, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United States.
Meanwhile, Argentina, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Romania, Slovakia, South Sudan, Togo, Tonga, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Uruguay abstained from voting.
As the US stands with Tel Aviv, media reports suggest that US President Joe Biden advised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to look hard-line stance.
US again blocks UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire
