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The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a draft resolution urging member states to take all necessary measures to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law, amid mounting concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The resolution, introduced by Spain and co-sponsored by more than 30 countries, received overwhelming support with 149 votes in favor, 12 against, and 19 abstentions. It underscores the need for accountability and calls on Israel to uphold its legal obligations under international law.
“As a matter of urgency, the international community must launch a robust message, a message with regard to the situation in Gaza, and we strongly encourage all member states to vote in favor of this draft resolution,” Spain’s UN envoy Hector Gomez Hernandez said ahead of the vote.
Hernandez emphasized the resolution’s support for a two-state solution and said it “firmly rejects any attempts at demographic change in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.” He added that the measure demands an “immediate halt to settlement, construction, expansion, land confiscation, home demolitions, forced evictions and settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour described the language of the draft as “the strongest to date on these matters,” urging the international community to take immediate action.
“Israel’s continuing disregard and blatant contempt for the rules of international law, the resolutions of UN bodies and the positions of states around the world must lead to the translation of this language into resolute action, and it has to be done now,” Mansour said.
He noted that the resolution “strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access,” while stressing the obligation not to deprive civilians in Gaza of their basic needs for survival.
“No arms, no money, no trade to oppress Palestinians, ethnically cleanse them and steal their land. Use the tools available to you,” Mansour said.
However, the United States opposed the resolution. U.S. Charge d’Affaires ad interim Dorothy Shea criticized the measure as “another failure on the part of the United Nations to condemn Hamas.”
Calling the resolution “unacceptable,” Shea said the U.S. does not support “one-sided measures that fail to condemn Hamas. We will not support resolutions that do not call for violent terrorist groups to disarm and leave Gaza and fail to recognize Israel’s right to defend itself.”
She added that the resolution “does nothing to bring calm to Gaza” and “does nothing to advance a realistic diplomatic solution to further the cause of peace. It is rife with serious defects.”
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