The emergency United Nations General Assembly meeting was momentarily suspended to conduct a vote on a resolution proposing an immediate humanitarian truce.
The United Nations General Assembly convened to address the situation in Israel and Gaza
The resolution, initiated by Jordan and backed by over 40 UN member states, comes after unsuccessful attempts at the Security Council to negotiate “humanitarian pauses” and an “immediate ceasefire.”
Since the Security Council’s efforts fell short, attention shifted to the United Nations General Assembly, comprising 193 member states where each holds a vote without the power of veto. While these resolutions are not legally binding, they serve as a significant indicator of global sentiment. It was evident that a vast majority of member states favored an immediate humanitarian truce.
The process commenced with a Canadian proposal to include a direct condemnation of Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack within the Jordanian draft. This addition was insisted upon by Canada, the United States, and several Western nations to gain their support. However, the amendment failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, tallying 88 in favor, 53 against, and 23 abstentions.
Following the unsuccessful Canadian amendment, the United Nations General Assembly proceeded to vote on the original resolution, advocating for “an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a conclusion of conflict.”
The United Nations General Assembly received overwhelming support, achieving a two-thirds majority with 120 in favor, 14 against, and 45 abstentions
Notably, the United States and Israel found themselves in the minority in their opposition. The stance of Europe played a pivotal role in the vote. Following the failure of the Canadian amendment, most European and Western countries opted to abstain rather than align with the United States in opposition. This includes Canada, indicating reluctance to be on record against a humanitarian truce amid deteriorating conditions in Gaza.
The last major vote by the United Nations General Assembly on a significant war and peace issue was in February, marking the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The assembly convened for an extensive session to discuss a resolution urging Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine in line with the UN Charter.
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