The U.S, also Israel’s staunchest ally and military backer, has been rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming it would strengthen Hamas.
The United Nations General Assembly is likely to vote on a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomats.
The 193-member UN body is set to vote on a draft resolution that has a similar text to the one the United States had vetoed on Friday at the UN Security Council, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
While none of the UNGA members have a veto power and its resolutions are non-binding, their votes reflect the political stances of the member nations.
The upcoming UNGA meeting is also a special session on the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
On October 27, Jordan proposed a resolution on behalf of the Arab League to the United Nations General Assembly that called for a “humanitarian truce”. An overwhelming 120 nations voted in favour while 14 voted against it, including the U.S.
The U.S, also Israel’s staunchest ally and military backer, has been rejecting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming it would strengthen Hamas.
“With each step, the U.S. looks more isolated from the mainstream of U.N. opinion,” said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group, told Reuters on Monday.
Gowan noted that the upcoming UNGA resolution would garner more support due to the shift in the “dynamics” ever since October 7, when Israel launched its operations in Gaza.
“The dynamics are different to those in October. The length and intensity of Israel’s operations in Gaza have left many UN members convinced that a ceasefire is essential,” Gowan explained to the news agency.
There have been growing calls by activists to invoke the UNGA Resolution 377, known as “Uniting for Peace”, in order to overturn the U.S. veto.
The resolution, first passed by the UNGA in 1950, provides the body with the ability to act in the event where the Security Council fails to uphold its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.
On December 6, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, which urged the Security Council to take action against the ongoing war in Gaza. The article was last invoked in 1989.
Speaking at the Doha Forum in Qatar on Sunday, Guterres vowed to “not give up” in his efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“I reiterated my appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. Regrettably, the Security Council failed to do it, but that does not make it less necessary. So, I can promise I will not give up,” Guterres said.
Since October 7, Israel has killed more than 18,200 Palestinians in Gaza, 70% of whom are women and children, according to the latest figures by the health ministry in Gaza.
Euro-Med reported a much higher figure on Monday of 24,142, including 9,420 children and those who are presumed dead under the rubble. Israel has also displaced 1.8 million people, leaving them without food or shelter under the harsh winter season.
