India has cast its vote in favour of a draft resolution at the UN General Assembly, advocating for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and the unconditional release of all hostages.
The Emergency Special Session held on Tuesday saw the adoption of the resolution, introduced by Egypt, with overwhelming support.
Out of the 193-member UN General Assembly, 153 nations voted in favour of the resolution, while 23 chose to abstain, and 10 opposed the text.
The resolution, supported by countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Palestine, emphasizes the immediate need for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
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It further reiterates the call for all involved parties to uphold their international law obligations, “notably with regard to the protection of civilians."
Reportedly, it also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”
The resolution however did not name Hamas and the US proposed an amendment to the draft resolution, calling for the insertion of the paragraph: “Unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages” in the main text. India voted in favour of the amendment.
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The vote in the UNGA Tuesday came days after the 15-nation UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire after permanent member the United States vetoed the text.
The UNSC resolution, tabled by the United Arab Emirates, backed by over 90 Member States, got 13 votes in its favour while the United Kingdom abstained.
India's vote in the past
In October, India had abstained in the General Assembly on a resolution that had called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip. The Jordanian-drafted resolution had also demanded the immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip.
More than 1,200 people were killed, including 33 children, and thousands injured in the terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on October 7. According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, so far at least 18,205 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, about 70 per cent of whom are said to be women and children, and about 49,645 are reportedly injured, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
