The UN General Assembly on Tuesday, overwhelmingly approved a non-binding resolution urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, increasing pressure on Israel and Washington.
The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution Tuesday, demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza — a call the paralyzed Security Council has so far failed to make, piling pressure on Israel and Washington.
The body, which includes all 193 UN member nations, voted 153 in favor of the resolution, exceeding the 140 or so countries that have routinely backed resolutions condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Ten countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against, while 23 abstained.
The vote occurred while Israel was pressing its air and ground operations against Hamas militants in the devastated Gaza Strip on Tuesday, more than two months into its war with the Palestinian Islamist group.
Militants from Gaza carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began relentless bombardments alongside a ground offensive in Gaza that the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed at least 18,400 people, mostly women and children.
Israel recovers two hostage bodies
Israel’s military said it had recovered in a Gaza operation the bodies of two hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
Following a positive identification, authorities informed their families the two “bodies had been recovered and returned to Israel”, it said.
Before the bodies of Ziv Dado and Eden Zecharya were recovered, Israel said it believed 137 hostages were still in Hamas captivity.
The army said two soldiers “fell in battle and additional soldiers were injured” in the operation.
Biden urges Israel government ‘change’
US President Joe Biden said Israel opposed a two-state solution with the Palestinians, and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “change” his government.
His comments revealed a rare rift with Netanyahu after weeks in which Biden has strongly backed Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Biden said Israel was starting to lose support around the world and that Netanyahu “has to strengthen and change” the Israeli government to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Aid trucks from Egypt
Egypt sent an aid convoy of 80 trucks to the reopened Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel into Gaza for inspection, humanitarian sources in Egypt said.
Another 100 trucks were sent to the Nitzana border post, which has been processing all international aid from Egypt’s Rafah border crossing before it is allowed in.
Israel agreed to reopen Kerem Shalom as a checkpoint to inspect aid destined for the Palestinian territory.
More violence in West Bank
Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry reported.
Five people were killed in an Israeli operation in the Old City and a sixth man who had been shot in the thigh died later after Israeli forces allegedly prevented him from reaching hospital in time.
Violence has escalated in the occupied territory since the war broke out, with around 270 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and settler attacks there since October 7, Palestinian officials say.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
