UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly in favour of immediate ceasefire in Gaza

More than 20 months into Israel's offensive against Gaza, the United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas and unrestricted access to deliver food and aid to 2 million Palestinians in desperate need.  

One hundred and forty-nine of the 193 member states voted in favour of the resolution. Drafted by Spain, it “strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.” Twelve member states voted against and 19 abstained. 

Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, addressed the assembly following the vote: 

“We thank all those who are mobilized to end this horrific tragedy, governments and peoples from across the globe who are standing up for humanity and the defense of the entire nation of Palestine.”

Last week, the United States vetoed a similar resolution at the UN Security Council because it was not linked to the release of the hostages. Israel’s UN Ambassador condemned Friday's  vote on the same grounds. 

“By failing to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, you told every terrorist organization that abducting civilians works, that holding elderly men and young women in tunnels earns you a seat at the table, that you can brutalize the innocent and still be rewarded with resolutions from the world's highest body.”

There are no vetoes in the 193-member General Assembly. But unlike in the Security Council, assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are seen as a barometer of world opinion. 

Risk of famine

Experts say some 2 million people are at risk of famine if Israel does not fully lift its blockade and halt its military campaign, which it renewed in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas.

After a 10-week blockade that barred all aid to Gaza, Israel is allowing the United Nations to deliver a trickle of food assistance and is backing a newly created US aid group, which has opened several sites in the center and south of the territory to deliver food parcels.

But the aid system rolled out last month by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been troubled by near-daily shootings as crowds make their way to aid sites, while the longstanding UN-run system has struggled to deliver food because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order.

Like the failed Security Council resolution, the resolution passed on Thursday does not condemn Hamas’ deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the militant group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza. Both are US demands.