The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional, and permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with the immediate release of all hostages. The resolution, adopted by 158 votes in favor out of 193 member states, reflects heightened urgency as the humanitarian toll of the conflict deepens.
This resolution uses more forceful language than previous calls for a humanitarian truce in Gaza, shifting from “urging” in October 2023 to “demanding” in December 2023. Although General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry significant political weight by expressing a global consensus.
The United States, Israel, and seven other countries voted against the resolution, while 13 abstained. US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood criticized the measures, stating they “reward Hamas” and fail to emphasize the hostages’ plight while undermining Israel’s security.
In a separate resolution, the General Assembly deplored an upcoming Israeli law to ban the UN’s Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA, from operating in Israel. It demanded Israel respect UNRWA’s mandate to provide aid, health, and education to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon accused the UN of bias, calling UNRWA a “haven for terror.” Meanwhile, Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour described Gaza as an “open, painful wound for the human family,” calling for urgent international action to halt the violence and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
The war has claimed over 44,800 lives in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, according to Israeli and Palestinian authorities.