The US has ended up looking quite badly isolated after only 12 countries joined Washington and Israel at the UN General Assembly in opposing a motion calling for a sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.
12 countries voted against the UN resolution: The U.S. was joined by Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga
US looks isolated after opposing UN resolution on Gaza truce
Only 12 countries joined Washington and Israel as Jordan’s motion was passed at the general assembly
One hour after Israel had extended its offensive in Gaza, Jordan’s motion was passed in New York by 120 votes to 14, with 45 countries abstaining.
The outcome was remarkable for showing the limited direct support for the world’s greatest superpower, with even France, Spain and the UK refusing to join the US in voting against the motion.
✓ The splits inside the EU, visible over recent weeks, were also laid bare, with the 27-members of the bloc voting three different ways, but the majority abstaining. Six of the votes the US garnered were from Pacific islands: Fiji, Tonga, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
In the days leading to the vote, Jordan had adapted its initial resolution in an effort to secure maximum support by dropping its call for a ceasefire in favour of a sustained humanitarian truce, and it had added that the release of “captives” must be unconditional.
But Canada, with US backing, said these adjustments did not go far enough, since Jordan’s motion did not name Hamas but instead simply condemned “all attacks of violence against Palestinian and Israeli citizens, including all acts of terror and indiscriminate attacks”. It also did not describe the hostages held by Hamas as such, but instead said they were being illegally held as captives.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, said that by refusing to name Hamas, the motion empowered the militant organisation that runs Gaza.
✓ When Canada’s amendment naming Hamas and describing those held captive as hostages was put to a vote, Canada and the US won the vote by 88 to 55, with 23 abstaining. All 27 EU states and the UK backed the amendment. But a vote at the general assembly, as opposed to the smaller UN security council, requires a two-thirds majority, meaning the Canadian amendment fell.
That left UN envoys with a choice: back the Jordanian call for a humanitarian truce, bereft of a reference to Hamas, or abstain or vote against it. Eight EU countries led by France backed the resolution.
✓✓✓ Among the big powers abstaining were Australia, India and the UK.
✓ The US alliance that voted against the resolution on one count represents only 7% of seats at the general assembly, bearing some resemblance to the diplomatic isolation Russia has experienced over Ukraine in the past two years.
Jordan was delighted by the outcome, with its foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, saying the general assembly had “spoken for justice”. The resolution, he claimed, “is a clear stand against Israel’s war, against the killing of Palestinians, against war crimes, on the side of international law”.
It certainly makes clear that Israel has an imperative duty in international law to ensure civilians are not deprived of objects indispensable to their survival.
But the resolution is non-binding, more a snapshot of world opinion. The security council, which can pass binding resolutions, has been unable to pass a motion on the crisis without either
UN overwhelmingly calls for aid truce between Israel and Hamas
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly called for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas and demanded aid access to the besieged Gaza Strip and protection of civilians.
The resolution drafted by Arab states is not binding but carries political weight, taking the global temperature as Israel steps up ground operations in Gaza in retaliation for the worst Hamas attack on civilians in Israel's 75-year-old history.
It passed to a round of applause with 120 votes in favor, while 45 abstained and 14 - including Israel and the United States - voted no. Iraq later changed its vote to yes from an abstention after complaining of a technical difficulty, so the final tally was 121 votes in favor and 44 abstentions.
A two-thirds majority was needed for the resolution to pass, in which abstentions do not count. The General Assembly voted after the Security Council failed four times in the past two weeks to take action.
"It sends the message to everyone enough is enough. This war has to stop, the carnage against our people has to stop and humanitarian assistance should begin to enter the Gaza Strip," Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan rejected the resolution, saying the U.N. no longer holds any legitimacy or relevance and accused those who voted yes of preferring to support "the defense of Nazi terrorists" instead of Israel.
"This ridiculous resolution has the audacity to call for truce. The goal of this resolution truce is that Israel should cease to defend itself to Hamas, so Hamas can light us on fire," he told the General Assembly after the vote.
✓ A Canadian-led bid to amend the resolution to include a rejection and condemnation of the "terrorist attacks by Hamas ... and the taking of hostages" failed to get the two thirds majority needed, garnering 88 votes in favor, 55 against and 23 abstentions.
ASSEMBLY STRESSES PREVENTING WIDER WAR
As fears grow that the conflict could spark a wider war, the assembly stressed the "importance of preventing further destabilization and escalation of violence in the region" and called on "all parties to exercise maximum restraint and upon all those with influence on them to work toward this objective."
The General Assembly called on Israel to rescind its order for civilians in Gaza to move to the south of the enclave. Israel ordered some 1.1 million people in Gaza - almost half the population - to move south on Oct. 12.
The General Assembly also "firmly rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population."
Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules Gaza, after the militants killed 1,400 people and took hundreds of hostages in an Oct. 7 attack. Israel has struck Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and is preparing a ground invasion. Palestinian authorities say more than 7,000 have been killed.
The General Assembly called for "the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive." It did not name Hamas anywhere in the text.
Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool
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