The UN has overwhelmingly demanded a humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas, amid an increased and ‘unprecedented’ bombardment campaign by Israel against the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday voted 120 to 14 to adopt the non-binding resolution, calling for an ‘immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities’ in the bloodiest conflict between Hamas and Israel in decades.
The resolution, which 45 states abstained from voting on, also called for the ‘the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive’, though it did not name Hamas as the captors.
The General Assembly also ‘firmly rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population.’
The resolution infuriated Israel, with its envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, accusing the international community of supporting ‘Nazi terrorists’, referring to Hamas.
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday voted 120 to 14 to adopt the non-binding resolution
Israel has launched an increased bombing campaign against the Gaza Strip tonight
Hamas sent back a ‘salvo’ of rockets, though the damage caused by this is not currently known
Israel has stepped up its bombing campaign against Gaza
He said the international body had no legitimacy or relevance, and added that the only way to destroy Hamas was to ‘root them out of their tunnels and destroy their subterranean city of terror.’
Among those voting against the bill were Israel and the US, which today said it supports a pause in Israeli military operations in Gaza to get humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity to civilians there.
White House spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that if getting hostages out of Gaza requires a localised temporary pause, then the United States is in support of that.
He added: ‘We’re not drawing red lines for Israel. We’re going to continue to support them.
‘Since the very beginning we have, and will continue to have, conversations about the manner that they are doing this.’
The successful bill came alongside a failed Canada-backed amendment that would’ve included a rejection and condemnation of ‘terrorist attacks by Hamas… and the taking of hostages.’
It failed to get the two thirds majority needed, instead garnering 88 votes in favour, 55 against and 23 abstentions.
Israel and the UN have butted heads ever since the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari (pictured) said a press conference today: ‘In recent hours we have increased the attacks in Gaza. The air force widely attacks underground targets and terrorist infrastructure, very significantly’
Hamas accused Israel of increasing its missile strikes to ‘perpetrate massacres with bloody retaliatory strikes from the air, land and sea’
Gaza has been bombed nonstop for nearly three straight weeks
This week, it stopped issuing visas to UN officials after taking offence to remarks made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that suggested Israel was partly to blame for the deadly October 7 attacks.
Erdan told Israeli media at the time: ‘Due to his remarks we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives.
‘We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths. The time has come to teach them a lesson.’
Following the comments, which Guterres said were taken out of context and mis-characterised, Israel’s foreign minister Eli Cohen cancelled a meeting with him.
It was also reported that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has refused to take several calls from Guterres since Hamas attacked earlier this month.