The draft resolution, submitted by Egypt to the General Assembly and co-sponsored by some 80 UN member states, including Portugal, received 153 votes in favor, 10 against and 23 abstentions from the 193 UN member states.
Countries such as Israel, the United States or Austria voted against this text and among the countries that abstained are Ukraine, Italy, Great Britain, Argentina, Germany and Cape Verde.
With the exception of Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea, which abstained, and São Tomé and Príncipe, which did not register its vote, all other Portuguese-speaking countries voted in favor of this resolution.
The resolution expresses concern over the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip”, “requests an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and calls for the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages.
But like the text adopted by the General Assembly at the end of October – which received the support of 120 countries and called for an “immediate, lasting and lasting humanitarian ceasefire leading to the cessation of hostilities” – the text adopted today resolution that also does not specifically condemn the Palestinian group Hamas, an absence that has been systematically criticized by countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom or Israel.
Before the resolution, two amendments proposed by Austria and the United States were voted on, which, among other things, affirmed Israel’s right to defense and condemned Hamas, but were ultimately rejected because they did not receive positive votes from two-thirds of the votes. States Members present at the hearing.
“Why is it so difficult to condemn Hamas? Saying unequivocally that killing babies and shooting parents in front of their children is terrible. That burning down houses while families take shelter inside and taking civilians hostage is atrocious,” the US ambassador said. the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield before the vote.
According to the US diplomat, as long as Hamas continues to be guided by “its murderous ideology”, a ceasefire at this time would be “temporary at best and dangerous at worst.”
‘Dangerous for the Israelis, who would be victims of brutal attacks. And it is also dangerous for Palestinians, who deserve the chance to build a better future for themselves, free from Hamas – a group that hides behind innocent civilians instead of protecting them. and which co-opts civilian infrastructure to fight conflict,” he argued, before voting against an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Also before the vote, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, classified the resolution being voted on as “hypocritical.”
“The time has come to lay the blame where it deserves, namely the monsters of Hamas,” he stressed, reiterating that a ceasefire would only strengthen the Islamist movement.
Erdan also released the phone number of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and asked member states to call him and ask him to stop the war.
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But as UN spokesman Stepháne Dujarric said on Monday, the meeting’s messages are “also very important” and reflect the views of the international community.
The vote in the General Assembly reflects the growing isolation of the United States and Israel, which are refusing to heed demands for a ceasefire in Gaza.
More than the United Nations or any other international organization, the United States is seen as the only entity capable of convincing Israel to accept a ceasefire as its closest ally and largest arms supplier.
In view of this North American position, more and more voices accuse Washington of “complicity” in the crimes committed by Israel in the enclave.
Canada, which has so far aligned itself with the policies of the United States and Israel, changed its position and today for the first time supported an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“With the future of Israelis and Palestinians in mind, Canada joins the international call for a humanitarian ceasefire,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said at a news conference in Ottawa, saying the only solution to the conflict is the creation of a Palestinian state.
In harsher words than usual, US President Joe Biden warned before the vote that Israel is losing international support as a result of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.
Source: DN
