New York – The United Nations General Assembly today approved a resolution presented by Spain and Palestine calling for an end to abuses against civilians in Gaza and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid. The vote resulted in 149 in favor, 12 against, and 19 abstentions. Among those voting against were the United States and Israel.
Spain’s ambassador to the UN, Héctor Gómez, defended the resolution as a necessary response to Israeli aggression and a call for international solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Palestinian ambassador, for his part, expressed gratitude and emphasized the need for increased international pressure to halt what he described as genocide.
Although non-binding, the resolution reflects mounting international pressure to end the conflict, which has claimed thousands of civilian lives. It outlines five key demands: a permanent ceasefire, full access to humanitarian aid, the release of both Israeli and Palestinian prisoners, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and an explicit condemnation of the use of starvation as a method of warfare.
The United States and Israel criticized the resolution, calling it biased and for failing to address the issue of hostages held by Hamas. U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, described the resolution as unbalanced and stated that Israel has every right to defend itself.
Despite broad support, the resolution is non-binding and unlikely to change the situation on the ground, given the diplomatic protection Israel receives from the United States in the Security Council through its veto power.
