UN votes overwhelmingly to demand Gaza ceasefire
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution that also demands the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The text garnered 149 votes in favour on Thursday, while 19 countries abstained and the US, Israel and 10 others voted against.
The resolution "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access."
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told the General Assembly this was "blood libel".
He had urged countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.
"It must be acknowledged that by failing to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, you told every terrorist organisation that abducting civilians works," he said.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war.
Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored.
Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.
Libya's UN ambassador Taher El-Sonni told the General Assembly before the vote that for "those pressing the red button today to vote against this resolution (it) will become a blood stain on their fingers".
The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The other 14 member states voted in favour of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than two million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in May.
The vote came before a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians - a meeting the US is urging countries not to attend.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Many of those killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution that also demands the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The text garnered 149 votes in favour on Thursday, while 19 countries abstained and the US, Israel and 10 others voted against.
The resolution "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access."
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told the General Assembly this was "blood libel".
He had urged countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.
"It must be acknowledged that by failing to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, you told every terrorist organisation that abducting civilians works," he said.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war.
Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored.
Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.
Libya's UN ambassador Taher El-Sonni told the General Assembly before the vote that for "those pressing the red button today to vote against this resolution (it) will become a blood stain on their fingers".
The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The other 14 member states voted in favour of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than two million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in May.
The vote came before a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians - a meeting the US is urging countries not to attend.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Many of those killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution that also demands the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The text garnered 149 votes in favour on Thursday, while 19 countries abstained and the US, Israel and 10 others voted against.
The resolution "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access."
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told the General Assembly this was "blood libel".
He had urged countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.
"It must be acknowledged that by failing to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, you told every terrorist organisation that abducting civilians works," he said.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war.
Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored.
Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.
Libya's UN ambassador Taher El-Sonni told the General Assembly before the vote that for "those pressing the red button today to vote against this resolution (it) will become a blood stain on their fingers".
The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The other 14 member states voted in favour of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than two million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in May.
The vote came before a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians - a meeting the US is urging countries not to attend.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Many of those killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution that also demands the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The text garnered 149 votes in favour on Thursday, while 19 countries abstained and the US, Israel and 10 others voted against.
The resolution "strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access."
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, told the General Assembly this was "blood libel".
He had urged countries not to take part in what he said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.
"It must be acknowledged that by failing to condition a ceasefire on the release of the hostages, you told every terrorist organisation that abducting civilians works," he said.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war.
Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored.
Unlike the UN Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.
Libya's UN ambassador Taher El-Sonni told the General Assembly before the vote that for "those pressing the red button today to vote against this resolution (it) will become a blood stain on their fingers".
The US last week vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that also demanded an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine US-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.
The other 14 member states voted in favour of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than two million people, where the UN warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade in May.
The vote came before a UN conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians - a meeting the US is urging countries not to attend.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.
Many of those killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
19 minutes ago
- ABC News
Australia is having a 'democracy bounce'. Anthony Albanese could give Donald Trump some lessons
As the Australian prime minister prepares to meet with the US president for their first face-to-face meeting, only one of them is leading a country where democracy is thriving and the public isn't bitterly divided. American democracy is being eroded by a president deploying the National Guard and Marines against his own people, in scenes you'd think could only unfold in autocracies. But something very different is going on here. While there is mounting political pressure on Anthony Albanese to walk out of the meeting unscathed with a deal that looks to Australia's advantage, he goes in with a domestic advantage to Donald Trump. Australians aren't mugs — they see what's unfolding in the US and they have made it clear they don't want to see our PM play a subservient role in this increasingly unreliable relationship because of a volatile president. The contrast between Australia and America couldn't be starker. Findings from the latest drop of the 2025 Election Monitoring Survey Series from ANU point to a notable uptick in public confidence in Australia's democratic system following our election. Satisfaction with democracy reached its highest level since 2022, and perceptions of the country's direction also improved, particularly among younger Australians. The patterns suggest a "democracy bounce" effect, where a combination of the orderly conduct of the election, the decisive outcome and smooth transition into the next parliament may have contributed to renewed optimism about the political system. Australians are more satisfied with the direction of the country now than they have been since the start of 2024, with a significant and substantial increase from 57.7 per cent satisfied/very satisfied before the election to 62.9 per cent after. However, we're still below the level after the 2022 election, when 73.3 per cent of Australians reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the country's direction. Fascinatingly, those that are born overseas (particularly in a non-English speaking country) are more satisfied with democracy than those born in Australia, and they are substantially more likely to be satisfied with the direction of the country. In terms of democratic resilience, Australia's migration integration is a real success story. ANU's Professor Nicholas Biddle says trust in political institutions has also strengthened, particularly for the federal government, parliament, and political parties. But of concern, this increase has not extended to media or religious institutions, indicating the post-election rise in institutional trust is narrowly focused on the political domain. "While these trends are encouraging signs of democratic resilience, they should be interpreted with caution. The longer-term test will be whether satisfaction and trust can be sustained as the new parliament begins governing," he says. Australians' perceptions of election and the newly elected parliament also reveal a broadly positive assessment of democratic integrity. The ANU paper explores how Australians view the conduct of the election, the legitimacy of its outcome, and the representativeness of the incoming 48th parliament. While most Australians felt the election was fairly administered — with strong majorities endorsing the fairness of vote counting and election officials — there were notable concerns around media fairness and data misuse by candidates, reflecting a broader unease about the information environment in which elections are contested. Perceptions of electoral legitimacy varied significantly by age, education, geographic location, and, most sharply, by who they voted for at the election. Older Australians, inner-city dwellers and those with higher levels of education were more likely to view the election positively. Coalition and minor party voters, by contrast, expressed significantly lower levels of trust in the electoral process and its outcomes. This pattern extends to views on representativeness: while most Australians felt that parliament would represent "people like them", belief in representativeness was unevenly distributed. Those without Year 12 qualifications and voters for parties other than Labor were much less likely to feel politically seen or heard. Furthermore, the demographic group that voters were most likely to see as being represented well by the new parliament is "rich voters". Biddle says this belief aligns with other data from the long-term survey program. "[It] shows that Australians think the current distribution of income in Australia is both unfair, and corrosive to democratic principles," he says. "As we have seen in the US, if institutions and established parties won't respond to these concerns, then people will eventually take it into their own hands and tear these institutions down." The results point to an underlying tension in Australian democracy. On the one hand, there is widespread confidence in the mechanics of electoral administration; on the other, substantial segments of the population — particularly those on the losing side of the election — question whether the system delivers fair outcomes or genuine representation. Patricia Karvelas is host of ABC News Afternoon Briefing at 4pm weekdays on ABC News Channel, co-host of the weekly Party Room podcast with Fran Kelly and host of politics and news podcast Politics Now.
Sydney Morning Herald
30 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE updates: Death tolls rise as Israel warns Iranians to evacuate weapons production facilities; two Mossad agents reportedly arrested
Latest posts Latest posts 5.23am G7 leaders will seek de-escalation: Starmer British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will work with other G7 leaders at a summit in Canada this week 'to encourage de-escalation' between Israel and Iran. On Sunday, Britain changed its travel advice, telling UK nationals not to travel to Israel. With the crisis due to dominate the G7 summit in Alberta, Starmer's spokesman Tom Wells said Britain believes 'the only route to peace is through diplomacy.' French President Emmanuel Macron also called for 'de-escalation'. 'We continue to call for de-escalation and for talks to resume,' Macron said on Sunday in Nuuk, Greenland's capital. Macron spoke with both US President Donald Trump and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday. He said G7 leaders would aim 'to prevent any escalation in Iran's acquisition of nuclear capability and to avoid any kind of conflagration in the region.' 5.23am Iran's president criticises US, Western nations for supporting Israel Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised the United States and some Western countries for supporting Israel's attacks on Iran. He said that if Israeli attacks continue, Iran's responses 'will be more decisive and severe.' Pezeshkian said that Israel 'is not capable of any action without the permission of the US' and that 'what we are witnessing today is being done with the direct support of Washington.' In a report carried on state TV, Pezeshkian said that Iran has never sought war and conflict. 'However, just as our armed forces, including the powerful army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard, have so far provided appropriate and firm responses, in case of continued hostile actions, the responses will be more decisive and severe,' he said. 5.23am Erdogan, Trump discuss the crisis in the Middle East Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with US President Donald Trump about the Israel-Iran conflict for the second time in as many days on Sunday, Erdogan's office said. The Turkish leader 'emphasised that immediate action must be taken to prevent a disaster that could throw the entire region into flames,' according to a statement posted on X. He also welcomed Trump's statements on ending the attacks and establishing peace. Erdogan offered to facilitate diplomatic efforts amid 'irreversible economic and civilian damage to both sides'. 5.23am Welcome to our live coverage Hello and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the volatile situation in the Middle East. Here is where we're at as we start the day: Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other over the weekend, killing scores of people and raising fears of a wider conflict. The escalation followed Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites on Friday. That initial attack killed several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. US President Donald Trump endorsed the Israeli action, threatening Iran with further attacks if it did not sign up to a new nuclear deal. Talks on Iran's nuclear program had been scheduled for Sunday, but they were called off after hostilities broke out. Israeli Prime Minister told Fox News overnight that regime change in Iran could be the end result of his country's military attacks. He said Israel would do whatever was necessary to remove what he claimed was an 'existential threat' posed by Tehran. Until now, Israel's military has said the goal of the campaign was not regime change but the dismantling of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Asked about a report that Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Netanyahu said: 'I'm not going to get into that.' In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes on Saturday night and into Sunday, according to local rescue services, bringing the country's total death toll to 13. In Iran, Israeli strikes have killed at least 406 people and wounded another 654, according to Washington-based Human Rights Activists. Iran's government has not offered any official casualty figures. Stay with us as we follow this story throughout the day.
The Age
30 minutes ago
- The Age
Israel-Iran conflict LIVE updates: Death tolls rise as Israel warns Iranians to evacuate weapons production facilities; two Mossad agents reportedly arrested
Latest posts Latest posts 5.23am G7 leaders will seek de-escalation: Starmer British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will work with other G7 leaders at a summit in Canada this week 'to encourage de-escalation' between Israel and Iran. On Sunday, Britain changed its travel advice, telling UK nationals not to travel to Israel. With the crisis due to dominate the G7 summit in Alberta, Starmer's spokesman Tom Wells said Britain believes 'the only route to peace is through diplomacy.' French President Emmanuel Macron also called for 'de-escalation'. 'We continue to call for de-escalation and for talks to resume,' Macron said on Sunday in Nuuk, Greenland's capital. Macron spoke with both US President Donald Trump and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday. He said G7 leaders would aim 'to prevent any escalation in Iran's acquisition of nuclear capability and to avoid any kind of conflagration in the region.' 5.23am Iran's president criticises US, Western nations for supporting Israel Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised the United States and some Western countries for supporting Israel's attacks on Iran. He said that if Israeli attacks continue, Iran's responses 'will be more decisive and severe.' Pezeshkian said that Israel 'is not capable of any action without the permission of the US' and that 'what we are witnessing today is being done with the direct support of Washington.' In a report carried on state TV, Pezeshkian said that Iran has never sought war and conflict. 'However, just as our armed forces, including the powerful army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard, have so far provided appropriate and firm responses, in case of continued hostile actions, the responses will be more decisive and severe,' he said. 5.23am Erdogan, Trump discuss the crisis in the Middle East Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with US President Donald Trump about the Israel-Iran conflict for the second time in as many days on Sunday, Erdogan's office said. The Turkish leader 'emphasised that immediate action must be taken to prevent a disaster that could throw the entire region into flames,' according to a statement posted on X. He also welcomed Trump's statements on ending the attacks and establishing peace. Erdogan offered to facilitate diplomatic efforts amid 'irreversible economic and civilian damage to both sides'. 5.23am Welcome to our live coverage Hello and welcome to our ongoing coverage of the volatile situation in the Middle East. Here is where we're at as we start the day: Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other over the weekend, killing scores of people and raising fears of a wider conflict. The escalation followed Israel's surprise bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites on Friday. That initial attack killed several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. US President Donald Trump endorsed the Israeli action, threatening Iran with further attacks if it did not sign up to a new nuclear deal. Talks on Iran's nuclear program had been scheduled for Sunday, but they were called off after hostilities broke out. Israeli Prime Minister told Fox News overnight that regime change in Iran could be the end result of his country's military attacks. He said Israel would do whatever was necessary to remove what he claimed was an 'existential threat' posed by Tehran. Until now, Israel's military has said the goal of the campaign was not regime change but the dismantling of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Asked about a report that Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Netanyahu said: 'I'm not going to get into that.' In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes on Saturday night and into Sunday, according to local rescue services, bringing the country's total death toll to 13. In Iran, Israeli strikes have killed at least 406 people and wounded another 654, according to Washington-based Human Rights Activists. Iran's government has not offered any official casualty figures. Stay with us as we follow this story throughout the day.
