UN passes ‘non-binding’ resolution for Gaza truce

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON/GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: The General Assembly has overwhelmingly adopted late Friday a non-binding resolution seeking an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza. 

It adopted the non-binding resolution with 120 votes in favour, 14 against, with 45 abstentions, as Israel expands ground operations and cuts off communications in Gaza. The Jordanian-authored resolution on behalf of the Arab group did not have any direct mention of “Hamas” or the “taking of hostages”. However, it did call for an “immediate, durable, and sustained ceasefire, and called for immediate humanitarian aid, including a resumption of water, electricity and delivery – something that Israel has not allowed … of fuel.”

Earlier, the Canadian-US amendment to the UN General Assembly resolution failed after 88 members voted in favour, 55 against and 23 abstained. The amendment would have explicitly condemned Hamas and the taking of hostages but it failed to obtain a two-thirds majority.Israel pounded northern Gaza as it said it was “extending” its ground operation amid UN warnings of an “avalanche of human suffering” in the battered Palestinian territory.

“Following the series of strikes of the last days, the ground forces are extending the ground operation tonight,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters. His announcement followed two straight nights of tank incursions into Gaza. Earlier, the military said it had increased its strikes “in a very significant way”, as AFP live footage captured intense bombardment of northern Gaza.

The armed wing of the Islamist group Hamas said it responded with “salvos” of rockets aimed at Israel.

Hamas said all internet connections and communications across the territory had been cut, and accused Israel of taking the measure “to perpetrate massacres with bloody retaliatory strikes from the air, land and sea”. “Salvos of rockets in the direction of the occupied territories (Israel) in answer to the massacre of civilians,” Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on its Telegram channel.

Israeli army said it had staged another brief ground incursion into Gaza, the second in as many days.

Hamas said Israel had tried to stage “a large-scale amphibious operation on Rafah’s coast” in southern Gaza at dawn but it had been thwarted, and the soldiers had “fled by sea, leaving behind a quantity of weapons”. Israel confirmed the operation, saying troops had struck “Hamas military infrastructure and... a compound” used by Hamas militants.

Israel’s military accused Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza as operations centres for directing attacks. The allegation was swiftly denied by a senior Hamas official who said it had “no basis in truth”. Israel has heavily bombarded Gaza since Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 220 others, according to Israeli officials. The Hamas-run health ministry said Israeli strikes on Gaza had now killed 7,326 people, mainly civilians and many of them children. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and over 1,900 wounded in the West Bank. Another four Palestinians were killed during Israeli raids in the northern cities of Jenin and Qalqilya, the health ministry said.

UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that Gaza faces “an unprecedented avalanche of human suffering” because of the lack of food, water and power. “I repeat my call for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies,” Guterres said in a statement.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees had earlier warned that “many more will die” in Gaza from catastrophic shortages after nearly three weeks of bombardment by Israel. The UN human rights office also raised the alarm over “war crimes” being committed as the Israel-Hamas conflict raged into its 21st day. Israel has cut supplies of food, water and power to Gaza, notably blocking all deliveries of fuel. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said “Basic services are crumbling, medicine is running out, food and water are running out, the streets of Gaza have started overflowing with sewage.” As much as 45 percent of Gaza housing is reported to have been damaged or destroyed.

The United States backs pauses in Israel´s war against Hamas to allow aid to get into the Gaza Strip, the White House said as Israel said it was extending ground operations. “We would support humanitarian pauses for stuff getting in, as well as for people getting out,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Kirby added that the United States had set “no red lines” for Israel but continued to ask them “hard questions” on their military goals and the protection of civilians in Gaza.

Concern is growing about regional fallout from the conflict, with the United States warning Iran against escalation while striking facilities in Syria it says were used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and others. Saudi officials have firmly warned the United States that an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza could be catastrophic for the Middle East. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee was one of 10 senators who met last weekend with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. “The Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be avoided for reasons of stability as well as the loss of life,” Blumenthal told The New York Times. Saudi officials warned it would be “extremely harmful,” he said.

Influential religious leader Moqtada Sadr called on the Iraqi government to close the American embassy in Baghdad because of Washington´s “unconditional support” for Israel in its war with Hamas. Iran’s foreign minister warned that Lebanese and Palestinian militants had their “finger on the trigger” in anticipation of an Israeli ground offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has become the latest senior Labour figure to call for a ceasefire in the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza, adding to further pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to defend his stance. Besides the Labour Mayor of Manchester, as well as the Scottish Labour leader, have all urged the Israeli military and Hamas to lay down arms - and for all hostages to be released unharmed. They’ve also stressed the urgent need for aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Former Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz said that he supports the idea of dismissing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war and appointing another premier, Anadolu Agency reports. “In war, we can demand an account,” Halutz said, holding Netanyahu responsible for leading Israel during the past years to the current situation. He also expressed his support for exchanging Israeli prisoners in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.