A look at the primary points and criticisms behind the UN resolutions on Israel and Gaza.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has voted overwhelmingly to call for a “humanitarian truce” as the Israel-Hamas war grinds onwards, leading to the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis and 7,000 Palestinians.
The non-binding resolution, passed on October 27, follows multiple failed attempts to pass similar language in the UN Security Council (UNSC), a body charged with issues of global peace.
The General Assembly – a larger branch of the UN that includes representatives from every member state – sent a strong signal with its landslide vote, with 120 countries voting in favour and 45 abstentions. Only 14 countries, including the US and Israel, opposed the resolution.
But efforts continue in the UNSC to craft language that can pass the 15-seat council, composed of five permanent members and 10 elected ones. Malta’s Ambassador Vanessa Frazier has said the council’s elected members plan to put together a new draft over the next few days.
The UNSC, one of the UN’s most powerful organs, can only adopt a resolution if at least nine of the 15 members vote in favour of it and no veto is used by one of the five permanent members. A shortage of favourable votes and a veto from the United States has kept UNSC resolutions from manifesting so far.
The full article and video can be found at Aljazeera.
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