With the support of 120 members, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate, permanent, and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire aimed at halting hostilities and providing essential goods and services to civilians throughout Gaza without delay or obstruction. This decision was made during the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, titled "Israeli Illegal Actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the Rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory".
At the beginning of the session resumed in the afternoon, Mahmoud Hamoud, Jordan's permanent representative to the UN, presented the draft resolution and requested a vote first on an amendment proposed by Canada to the draft, expressing his opposition to the amendment. The Canadian amendment calls for an unequivocal rejection and condemnation of the "terrorist attacks launched by Hamas in Israel since October 7 and the hostage-taking." The amendment failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority of votes.
The resolution calls for "an immediate, permanent, and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire leading to an end to hostilities." It demands that all parties comply immediately and fully with their obligations under international law and enable and facilitate humanitarian access to essential supplies and services for all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip. The resolution strongly rejects "any attempts for the forcible relocation of Palestinian civilian populations." It urges the cancellation of the Israeli order for Palestinian civilians and UN staff, as well as humanitarian and medical workers, to evacuate all areas north of the Gaza Valley and relocate to the southern part of the strip. It also calls for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all civilians unlawfully held, insisting on their safety and well-being and humane treatment in accordance with international law.
The resolution emphasizes the urgent need to establish a mechanism to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilian populations and another mechanism for humanitarian notification to ensure the protection of UN facilities and all humanitarian establishments and to guarantee the unobstructed movement of aid convoys. It condemns all acts of violence targeting Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including "all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement, and destruction." The General Assembly expresses profound concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and its enormous repercussions on the civilian population, most of whom are children.
Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN, Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, expressed her country's deep regret over the "failure of the Security Council to carry out its legal and moral responsibilities" and the failure to adopt any solution for an immediate ceasefire or to pass a binding resolution concerning the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. She emphasized the importance of the General Assembly undertaking its responsibilities for maintaining international peace and security. The Qatari ambassador reiterated her country’s call for all parties to de-escalate towards a complete ceasefire "and the immediate release of all prisoners, particularly civilians," ensuring urgent humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and opening safe corridors for the relief entry.
The ambassador reaffirmed her country's condemnation of all forms of targeting civilians, especially women and children, and its strong rejection of "the comprehensive siege imposed by Israel, the occupying power, on the Gaza Strip." She reiterated Qatar's rejection of "collective punishment policies and attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people from Gaza." She stated that the content of the Arab draft resolution represents the minimum obligations that member states should fulfill under such circumstances to address the severe implications of the situation in Gaza. She emphasized the necessity for the General Assembly, through the draft resolution, to provide a legal framework that supplies the necessary reference for the international response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
In his address to the General Assembly, Egypt's Permanent Representative to the UN, Osama Abdel Khalek, stated that failing to stop this war before it is too late "could drag the region into a devastating regional conflict, affecting the interests of countries that hesitate to call for its cessation," urging a vote in favor of the draft resolution to stop the war and save peace. He confirmed that it is self-evident that when escalation and conflict break out, the UN system should act to achieve a ceasefire, adding that this "is not an alignment with one party or support for terrorism," but is about protecting innocent lives and preventing further escalation and emphasizing the UN's ability to fulfill its role in safeguarding the most basic human rights—namely, the right to life.
Abdel Khalek stressed that "silence is no longer an option," calling on the General Assembly to send a clear and unequivocal message that essential needs such as water, food, and medicine must reach the Gaza Strip unconditionally, as deprivation of humanitarian aid under these circumstances is tantamount to a death sentence for the people of Gaza. He also expressed a "strong rejection" of any attempt to displace the Palestinian people within their territories or to neighboring countries, adding that such attempts "must be faced with all firmness." The permanent representative of Egypt further called for the activation of international protection that the Palestinian leadership has repeatedly requested "for its people who have been under occupation for decades."
He clarified that Egypt will continue its diligent efforts to achieve a ceasefire, protect civilians, deliver humanitarian assistance, mediate the release of hostages and detainees, and work to create an environment for the resumption and revitalization of the peace process "which remains the only path to establishing peace and stability in the Middle East."
US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated that "the death, destruction, and despair occurring before our eyes are enough to make one lose faith in humanity." She remarked that Hamas's objectives are "one-track-minded and disgusting" as they aim to destroy Israel and "kill Jews," adding that the movement's use of Palestinian civilians "as human shields" is a "despicable and cowardly" act.
The US ambassador expressed sorrow over the loss of every innocent soul in this crisis, emphasizing that "we must not become numbed to the pain and suffering of people like Wael Al-Dahdouh, the Palestinian journalist whose wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in Gaza this week." She stressed that while Israel exercises "its right and responsibility to defend its people against the terrorist group, it must do so in accordance with the rules of war." Thomas-Greenfield stated that the "barbaric terrorist acts" committed by Hamas cannot be justified, yet the resolution presented to the General Assembly failed to mention two key words: Hamas and hostages, adding, "It is shameful that this resolution failed to name the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks on October 7: Hamas, Hamas. This is shameful."
Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the UN, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, called on member states to support and sponsor the proposed draft resolution, stating it serves international peace and security. He condemned "the attempts of forced displacement and the policy of collective punishment against the people of Gaza, including starving civilians as a tool of war." He stated the current crisis is the result of the international community's failure to end the occupation and implement the two-state solution. He added, "Silent complicity of illegal Israeli practices—whether over the past seventy years or recently—has led the region to the current crisis." He expressed his discontent over the "double standards and selectivity" concerning the crisis amid the blockade, killings, and displacement and the failure of the international community to call for a ceasefire and the entrance of necessary humanitarian aid.
Hamas welcomed the UN General Assembly's call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, demanding that the resolution be implemented immediately to allow fuel and relief supplies for civilians.
In preliminary comments on the resolution, the Israeli delegate to the UN stated: "The vote shows that the majority of the international community prefers to support 'the defense of Nazi terrorists' instead of Israel." He added, "The only way to destroy Hamas is to uproot them from their tunnels and their terrorist city underground." He concluded, "The organization lacks legitimacy after the General Assembly adopted a resolution regarding the war between Israel and Hamas."
