General Assembly Adopts Resolution Demanding Israel Immediately End Blockade of Gaza, Open All Border Crossings, Ensure Aid Reaches Palestinian Civilian Population
Text Adopted by Recorded Vote of 149 in Favour, 12 Against, 19 Abstentions
The General Assembly today demanded that Israel, the occupying Power, immediately end the blockade in Gaza, open all border crossings and ensure that aid reaches the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip immediately and at scale.
The 193-member organ resumed its Tenth Emergency Special Session on “Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, as a result of the Security Council’s failure on 4 June to adopt a resolution on the matter, due to a veto by the United States. (For background, see Press Release SC/16078 and coverage to date of the General Assembly’s Tenth Emergency Special Session here.)
The text titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” (document A/ES-10/L.34/Rev.1) was adopted with 149 votes in favour to 12 against, with 19 abstentions.
By its terms, the Assembly also strongly condemned any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, and stressed the obligation not to deprive civilians in the Gaza Strip of objects indispensable to their survival, including by wilfully impeding relief supplies and access.
The Assembly also demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire and that all parties to the conflict comply with their obligations under international law, in particular concerning the conduct of hostilities and the protection of civilians. It also recalled its demand for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.
Spain’s Representative Introduces Draft
The representative of Spain, introducing the draft resolution (document A/ES-10/L.34/rev.1), noted that his country together with Palestine had been working on the draft, which demands that parties to the conflict comply with their obligations under international law. The draft resolution also expresses support for the UN coordinated plan to resume humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, he added. “As a matter of urgency, the international community must launch a robust message with regard to the situation in Gaza,” he said, urging Member States to vote in favour of the text.
State of Palestine’s Speaker Says ‘Illegal, Immoral Situation’ Subjecting Over 2 Million People to Relentless Bombardments, Starvation Must Stop Immediately
“We meet here on the 614th day of a full-fledged assault against the Palestinian people,” underscored the Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine. “This illegal, immoral situation cannot continue; it has to stop and stop immediately,” he said, pointing to Israel’s siege against Palestine — “where over 2 million people have been subjected to relentless bombardments, wanton destruction and engineered starvation”.
Israel’s continuing disregard for international law and the positions of States around the world must lead to resolute action and “it has to be done now”, he said, urging Member States to use all tools at their disposal to hold accountable those responsible for crimes and atrocities against an entire people.
He thanked Governments and peoples around the world “who are standing up for humanity and the defence of the entire nation of Palestine”. “Israel must abide by international law. It cannot remain the exception to every rule,” he underscored. “It is the States assembled here — all of you — who through their actions, by translating their legitimate outrage into rightful needs, can end this horrific reality,” he said.
Israel’s Speaker Says Resolution Does Not Advance Peace But ‘Tries to Place All the Pressure on Us’
Israel’s representative, in stark contrast, said that, if the Assembly seeks to maintain a shred of legitimacy and demonstrate the slightest bit of moral clarity, then any resolution on the Gaza situation “must begin with the words: ‘the General Assembly of the United Nations is appalled by the atrocities committed in the 7 October [2023] massacre and unequivocally condemns Hamas for these atrocities’”.
Moreover, the resolution claims “Israel is using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war”, he said, yet his country continues to provide humanitarian aid, with over 16 million meals delivered over the past weeks through the new international mechanism in Gaza, in coordination with the United States.
The resolution does not advance peace but “tries to place all the pressure on us”, he pointed out, adding that Israel has accepted multiple proposals, while Hamas has rejected every single one. “You gather here today not to demand their release,” but to vote on a resolution that “rewards the terrorist responsible” for the suffering. His Government, unlike the international community, will not abandon the hostages, but “do whatever it takes to bring our people home […] all of them”, he said.
Delegates Take the Floor Before Resolution Is Put to Vote
Several delegations took the floor in explanation of vote before the vote. The Russian Federation’s representative said the Security Council’s 4 June draft resolution could have led to truly positive change on the ground, noting that his delegation was “bitterly disappointed” by the United States’ veto. His country will vote in favour of the Assembly resolution, he said, calling on Member States to do the same to finally resolve the “most protracted conflict in the world”.
Libya’s representative echoed that view, stating: “The international community watches paralysed, as a veto in the Security Council strangles justice.” “History did not start on 7 October [2023]; this is a struggle of seven decades and still ongoing,” he emphasized, urging Member States to vote in favour of the resolution to help end this vicious cycle.
Several delegations, including Canada, voiced support for the resolution because of the urgent need to secure a ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the resumption of UN-led humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza. Other delegations, including Tunisia, echoed that urgency and their support for the resolution, notwithstanding their reservations on some parts of the text. Iraq’s representative stressed: “The Israeli occupation has gone beyond all limits.”
However, the United States’ delegate voiced its strong dissent, noting that today’s meeting “marks yet another failure on the part of the United Nations to condemn Hamas”. She stressed that “any measure that undercuts our ally’s security is a non-starter for the United States”, urging Member States to “vote against this biased resolution”.
Delegates Explain Their Votes After Resolution Is Adopted
After adoption of the resolution, several delegations, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, explained their vote in favour of the text.
Liechtenstein’s representative underscored that “the ongoing conflict is an overwhelming failure of civilian protection”. He called on all parties “to let the UN do its job”. The last few weeks have shown that it is not possible to replace the life-saving work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) at scale. “It is the least that can be done to save the civilian population in Gaza,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s representative stressed that Hamas must be held accountable and can play no role in the future of Gaza, affirming her country’s resolute commitment to Israel’s security. She voiced concern, however, by its ongoing operations in the West Bank and called out its attempts “to entrench a one-State reality”.
A few delegations explained their abstention from the vote, with the Czech Republic’s representative voicing regret that the text fails to condemn Hamas’ atrocities on 7 October 2023. The representative of the Marshall Islands lamented the “continued undertaking now dysfunctional where we vote on nearly the same words in repetition”. The crisis deserves leadership and pragmatic results before it continues to worsen, he said, noting that “the dramatic scale of suffering deserves a more effective response” than the current outplay between the General Assembly and the Security Council.
Debate Preceding Action on Draft Resolution
During the debate earlier in the meeting, which will be resumed at a later date, the representative of Kuwait, speaking for the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned “in the harshest of terms” the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip. Aid-distribution points managed by Israel do not comply with criteria for humanitarian action, he said. Voicing support for UNRWA and the UN aid distribution mechanism, he urged the international community’s united support for the Agency. Any interruption or suspension of the Agency’s critical work will lead to economic, political, humanitarian and security risks, he warned.
Speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, Yemen’s delegate echoed that support and called for the enabling of the UN aid distribution mechanism to fully access the Gaza Strip. He warned against the use of assistance as a means for forced displacement, redrawing the demographic reality and forcibly annexing land. This is a violation of international law, he said, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Council’s inability to act on account of the veto does not relieve the international community of the duty to act, he emphasized, calling on the General Assembly as “the living conscience of the United Nations” to uphold the law, justice and humanitarian principles underpinning its existence.
General Assembly President Stresses International Community Must Work Together to ‘Finally End the Horrors in Gaza’
Philémon Yang (Cameroon), Assembly President, opened today’s meeting, declaring that: “After 20 months of war, the horrors in Gaza must end.” Lamenting the ongoing paralysis in the Security Council, he said: “It is unacceptable that the killing of innocent civilians […] persists with no end in sight.” He called on Member States to translate their commitments to the Charter of the United Nations and to the dignity of every human being into meaningful action on the ground. “Together we must work to finally end the horrors in Gaza,” he said.