Kochi: The United Nations General Assembly has sought immediate cease fire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, media reports said.
A resolution, drafted by a group of 22 Arab countries, was passed by the 193-member assembly by a margin of 120 to 14. Forty-five
countries abstained, the reports said.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that voting against the resolution “means approving this senseless war.”
The resolution is a barometer to gauge the global opinion on the three week conflict which has claimed over 1,400 people.
Telecommunication services have been cut off in Gaza even as Israel has engaged in limited ground skirmishes.
The General Assembly voted after the UN Security Council had failed to take action over two weeks. The resolution underscores the need to avoid escalation of the fighting and sought more humanitarian aid for Gaza.
The resolution seeks immediate release of all civilians held hostage and condemns “all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks” including those on Israeli civilians.
Israel denounced the vote as “infamy”. Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan said that “a ceasefire means giving Hamas time to rearm itself,” the reports said.
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