KUALA LUMPUR – The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) yesterday adopted a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce and the unhindered provision of essential supplies and services into the Gaza Strip.
According to UN News, the voting during the 10th Emergency Special Session of the assembly saw the Jordanian led resolution adopted by the General Assembly, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against, and 45 abstentions.
Jordan, in making a point of order at the onset of the meeting, called for the suspension of the debate at 3pm Friday (New York time), to initiate “immediate action” on the draft resolution and the deliberations to continue after that. However, the meeting was adjourned for the vote at about 3.40pm.
The Jordanian-led draft resolution on the crisis had the initial backing of over 40 member states, including Egypt, Oman, and the UAE.
An amendment to the resolution was proposed by Canada that rejected and condemned Hamas for its actions against Israel, but it failed to muster enough support. The votes on the amendment were 85 for, 55 against, with 23 abstentions, so it failed to get the required two-thirds majority.
The resolution, among others, calls for an “immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce”, as well as “demands” that all parties comply with international humanitarian law and for “continuous, sufficient, and unhindered” provision of essential supplies and services into the Gaza Strip.
The emergency session met on October 26 amid deadlock in the Security Council and the besieged enclave of Gaza growing increasingly dire. – October 28, 2023