The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Wednesday on a resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
This move follows a previous veto by the United States in the UN Security Council for a similar measure.
The draft resolution also demands the unconditional release of all hostages and access to humanitarian aid for Gaza’s citizens, who have endured over a year of war.
The ongoing war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, most of them civilians, according to official data compiled by AFP. The attack included the kidnapping of 251 hostages, of whom 96 remain in Gaza. This number includes 34 individuals believed to have died while in captivity.
In response, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has resulted in the deaths of at least 44,786 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. These figures are considered reliable by the UN.
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour, speaking during an earlier debate, described Gaza as “the bleeding heart of Palestine.” He urged the international community to act, saying, “The images of our children burning in tents, with no food in their bellies and no hopes… should haunt the conscience of the world and prompt action to end this nightmare.”
Israel has opposed the resolution. Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon stated, “If you truly want peace, it begins with dismantling this infrastructure of hate and the glorification of terror,” referencing accusations against the UN agency UNRWA of involvement in the October 7 attacks.
The resolution includes a call for accountability and requests UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to propose ways for the UN to advance accountability measures.
A second resolution will also be considered, urging Israel to respect UNRWA’s mandate and allow the continuation of humanitarian operations. This comes after Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA, effective January 28, which has drawn global criticism.
