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Israel-Hamas war: India, on Tuesday, voted in favour of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict as well as the unconditional release of all hostages.
The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution, introduced by Egypt, at an Emergency Special Session here. Member States adopted a resolution, demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and well as “ensuring humanitarian access”. It passed with a large majority of 153 in favour and 10 against, with 23 abstentions.
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The resolution also reiterated the General Assembly’s demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians”.
Prior to the resolution, two amendments making specific reference to extremist group Hamas were voted down by members.
Muslim nations demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza
The resolution, sponsored among others by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians.” It also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”
The resolution, however, did not name Hamas and the US proposed an amendment to the draft resolution, calling for the insertion of the paragraph: “Unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting October 7, 2023 and the taking of hostages” in the main text.
India voted in favour of the amendment.
Israel calls the resolution “another hypocritical resolution”
Meanwhile, Israel’s Permanent Representative, Gilad Erdan, during the session said that the General Assembly finds itself “about to vote on another hypocritical resolution.”
“Not only does this resolution fail to condemn Hamas for crimes against humanity, it does not mention Hamas at all. This will only prolong the death and destruction in the region, that is precisely what a ceasefire means,” he said.
He added that the only intention of Hamas is to destroy Israel and that the group has declared that it will repeat its atrocities again and again until Israel ceases to exist.
“So why would anyone want to aid Hamas in continuing their rule of terror and actualizing their satanic agenda?”, he asked.
“We all know that the so-called humanitarian ceasefire in this resolution has nothing to do with humanity. Israel is already taking every measure to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he added.
He underscored the need to hold Hamas accountable. He said a ceasefire means one thing only – “the survival of Hamas.”
Pakistan denounces Israel’s aggression
However, Pakistan, which hasn’t recognised Israel as a country, denounced Jerusalem’s aggression against the Palestinians. While addressing the chair, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador, said it was a matter of “deep regret, that some friends of Israel have introduced amendments to once again condemn only one side but exonerate the other.”
He said he was confident that most Members would not agree to place blame only on Hamas, but blame Israel for their role in the bombardment of the “open-air prison” that is Gaza.
“This is a war against the Palestinian people”, he said. “Israel’s goal is to erase not only a people but the entire idea of Palestine. It’s campaign is a carbon copy of the massive campaigns of racial slaughter by other settler colonial regimes in history”, he added.
In Oct, India had abstained
In October, India had abstained in the General Assembly on a resolution that had called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution had also demanded the immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip.
The vote in the UNGA Tuesday came days after the 15-nation UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire after permanent member the United States vetoed the text.
The UNSC resolution, tabled by the United Arab Emirates, backed by over 90 Member States, got 13 votes in its favour while the United Kingdom abstained.
More than 1,200 people were killed, including 33 children, and thousands injured in the terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7. According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, so far at least 18,205 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are said to be women and children, and about 49,645 are reportedly injured, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
(With inputs from agency)
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