While the Israeli army strengthened its offensive on Gaza, at the same time, Friday October 27, the international community meeting in the General Assembly at the UN widely called for a “immediate humanitarian truce”, provoking the anger of Israel, isolated despite the unfailing support of Washington. The result of the vote, at the end of the Assembly, was greeted with applause: one hundred and twenty countries voted in favor of a “immediate, lasting and sustained humanitarian truce leading to the cessation of hostilities” in Gaza, without mentioning or condemning the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. Alongside Israel, thirteen other countries voted against – including the United States – and forty-five abstained. This election reveals fault lines different from those which divide the international community over the war in Ukraine, and more numerous divisions than supposed in the Western camp.
“As we witness a ground invasion of Israel as we speak, in the absence of determined action from the Security Council, this text serves a simple but vital purpose, in line with the raison d’être of the United Nations: peace »declared the Jordanian ambassador, Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud.
After four failures in positioning the Security Council in two weeks, due in particular to three vetoes from Washington, Moscow and Beijing, the group of twenty-two Arab countries asked the General Assembly to take up the subject. Even if the resolutions voted on in this framework are not binding, it allows us to take the pulse of the international community when the Council is paralyzed by the tension of one or more of its permanent members.
” Shame on you “
The General Assembly resolution on Friday focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and called for the immediate provision of water, food, fuel, electricity, and access “unhindered” humanitarian aid. “The humanitarian system in Gaza faces total collapse, with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians”had alerted, a little earlier, the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres.
In reaction, Hamas welcomed this vote, and demanded its “immediate implementation to enable the provision of fuel and humanitarian aid to civilians”while Israel vehemently castigated him. ” Shame on you ! »launched the Israeli ambassador, Gilad Erdan, for whom this resolution is a “infamy”and the casualty reports put forward by Hamas ” lies “.
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