The United Nations General Assembly is ready to demand a stop to Gaza

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – The United Nations General Assembly appeared poised on Tuesday to immediately freeze humanitarian aid in the two-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas after it was rejected. The United States took this action in the Security Council.

Before the UN election, US President Joe Biden told a fundraiser for his re-election in 2024, that Israel is losing international support because of the “indiscriminate bombing that is going on.”

Israel has bombed Gaza from the air, staged a raid and carried out a ground attack in retaliation for an October 7 attack by Hamas that Israel said killed 1,200 people and saw 240 people taken prisoner. Gaza’s health ministry says 18,205 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 50,000 wounded.

Most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been driven from their homes and the United Nations has issued dire warnings about the humanitarian situation in the coastal region, saying hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starvation.

No country has veto power in the 193-member General Assembly, which must vote on a draft resolution that reflects language blocked by the United States in the UN Security Council. 15 safeties last week.

The decisions of the General Assembly are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting the world’s view of the war.

The United States and Israel oppose the ceasefire because they believe it will only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supported a ceasefire to protect civilians and allowed the release of people arrested by Palestinian soldiers on October 7.

“This war will end if we can answer the diplomat-babysitter test,” said Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy on Tuesday.

“Will the diplomats who voted to save the fall of Hamas at the United Nations feel safe raising children in Kfar Azza, Beeri and Nir Oz? For that to happen, Hamas must be destroyed. And That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he said.

The assembly vote will be held a day after the 12 Security Council members visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, the only place where humanitarian aid and oil have passed through. Gaza. The United States did not send a representative to the expedition.

“At each step, the US seems to be more isolated from the main idea of ​​the UN,” said Richard Gowan, director of the UN at the International Crisis Group.

In October the General Assembly called for “urgent, sustained and sustained humanitarian aid to end the conflict” in a resolution adopted with 121 votes in favor, 14 against – including the US – and 44 participants.

Some theologians and observers have predicted that Tuesday’s election will bring more support. A two-thirds majority is required.

“The strength is different from October. The long and intense work of Israel in Gaza left many members of the UN to believe that it is important to stop,” said Gowan.

In October, Canada introduced an amendment to reject and condemn Hamas’ October attack, but failed to get the two-thirds majority it needed. Diplomats say the United States plans to introduce a similar amendment on Tuesday.

The draft resolution of the General Assembly to be voted on Tuesday also requires the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees and that the relevant parties comply with international law, especially in relation to the protection of the public.

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