The United Nations General Assembly is overwhelmingly in favor of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict. Yesterday, 153 members voted in favor of the proposed resolution, ten against, including the US and Israel. 23 countries abstained. General Assembly resolutions are not binding, but reflect the global vision.
The resolution also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for the belligerents to comply with international law – particularly with regard to the protection of civilians. The text of the resolution corresponds to what was blocked by the US in the 15-member UN Security Council last week. However, no country has the right to veto in the General Assembly.
According to UN data, almost a fifth of the Gaza Strip's infrastructure has been destroyed since the start of the war. A high-resolution satellite image taken on November 26 identified 37,379 damaged buildings, the Geneva-based UN satellite program UNOSAT reported. This corresponds to around 18 percent of the infrastructure in the coastal area.
Only one in three hospitals is partially operational
The situation in hospitals in the Gaza Strip is particularly catastrophic in the midst of the ongoing war. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only about a third of hospitals are still partially functional. The UN continues to report fighting near hospitals, medical personnel and patients killed in the fighting.
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The Israeli military is starting to pump seawater into the Hamas tunnel complex in the Gaza Strip, according to a newspaper report. This could help destroy the tunnels where Israel believes the militant group is hiding hostages, fighters and ammunition, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The process will likely take weeks, they say.