3:30 p.m. ET, October 27, 2023
The United Nations is preparing to vote on the war between Israel and Hamas
By CNN’s Caitlin Hu, David Shortell and Richard Roth: Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram addresses the UN General Assembly in New York on October 27. Bebeto Matthews/AP
UN members are preparing to vote on a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the war between Israel and Hamas so that humanitarian aid can reach civilians in the battered Gaza enclave. Voting is expected at 3 p.m. ET.
Major Arab states, including Egypt, supported the resolution. The United States, which sided with Israel, sharply criticized the effort, calling the resolution “deeply flawed.”
Jordan advanced the General Assembly resolution after several attempts to call for ceasefires and humanitarian pauses failed in the more powerful Security Council. A vote in the General Assembly is politically significant but not binding.
The draft resolution calls for an “immediate, permanent and permanent humanitarian ceasefire leading to a cessation of hostilities” and “immediate, full, permanent, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”
The resolution also calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians held illegally” but does not name Hamas as a kidnapper.
Israel’s position: In Thursday’s debate, Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the resolution “completely devoid of any content related to the situation” and said calls for a ceasefire were “not an attempt for peace” but “an attempt to Israel “To tie our hands and prevent it from preventing us from eliminating a major threat to our citizens.”
Palestinian Observer’s Viewpoint: Ambassador Riyad Mansour, head of the Palestinian Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, highlighted the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians and asked the gathering: “Is this the war that some of you are defending?”
There is no explicit criticism of Hamas in the General Assembly resolution currently being debated. Hamas, which controls Gaza, sparked the latest outbreak of violence following its Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel that left more than 1,400 people dead.
“These are failures of evil and they cover for and reinforce Hamas’ brutality,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Friday. “No member state should allow this to happen.”
Canada tabled a last-minute amendment strongly condemning the militant group.
For the resolution to be adopted, a majority of at least two-thirds of the member countries present in the General Assembly hall would have to vote “yes”.
Jordan’s post: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi urged approval of the upcoming UN resolution and wrote down
The result of Israel’s ground operation “will be a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions in the coming years,” he said. “Millions will watch every vote. History will judge.”