The United Nations General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for parties to the conflict to fully comply with their obligations under international law. The resolution demands the immediate, continuous and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip and also, for the immediate release of all civilians while demanding their safety.
This as the U.N. continues to battle an escalating humanitarian emergency and growing concerns of an Israeli ground offensive, which could bring an entirely new dimension to the conflict.
While member states debate the latest resolution in the General Assembly, after four drafts failed passage in the Security Council. The U.N continues to warn that Gaza is being strangled with 47 % of housing units destroyed or damaged, more than 7 000 killed, 68 % women and children, 17 000 injured, 1.4 million displaced while the area has been under a full electricity blackout for 18 days.
“For almost three weeks now, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have endured relentless bombing by Israel from air, land and sea. Thousands of dead, lying dead amongst destroyed residential buildings, mosques and bakeries. We receive harrowing testimony of entire families killed by airstrikes on their homes including the families of our own staff members. Of parents writing children’s names on their arms to identify their future remains. Of the terrifying, sleepless nights people are spending in the open air, as airstrikes continue overhead. We mourn the loss of UN colleagues and so many more civilians who are clearly, disproportionately impacted,” says Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“The humanitarian system in Gaza is facing total collapse”: Antonio Guterres:
The U.N. says its Agency operating in Gaza has lost 53 staff members, impacting an already hamstrung humanitarian operation. Only 74 humanitarian trucks have entered the enclave since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, prior to which almost 500 trucks would enter daily.
“As we speak, people in Gaza are dying. They are not only dying from bombs and strife, soon many more will die from the consequences of siege imposed on the Gaza strip. Basic services are crumbling, medicine is running out, food and water are running out, the street of Gaza have started overflowing with sewage, Gaza is on the brink of a massive health hazard and the risk of diseases are looming,” says Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
As the political temperature in the region continues to rise due to the continued bombardment.
“I say frankly to the American statesmen who are now managing the genocide in Palestine that we do not welcome the expansion of the war in the region. But I warn, if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire. It is our home and West Asia is our region. We do not compromise with any party and any side, and we have no reservation when it comes to our home security. The genocide in Gaza must stop immediately,” says Hossein Ami-Abdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister.
Complicating humanitarian efforts, a likely Israeli ground invasion of Gaza and the position of key countries, that insist on Israel’s right to self-defense after killing of 1 400 of its citizens by Hamas.
“Israel has the right, and I would add, a responsibility to respond to the slaughter of their people. And we will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against these terrorists. That’s a guarantee. We also have to remember that Hamas does not represent, let me say it again, Hamas does not represent the vast majority of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip or anywhere else. Hamas is hiding behind Palestinian civilians and is despicable and not surprisingly cowardly as well,” says U.S. President Joe Biden.
Al this comes as Al Jazeera reports that negotiations mediated by Qatar on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas is progressing and at an advanced stage.
Cue the General Assembly resolution that needs two-thirds in-favour of U.N. member states present and voting. But the reality is that even if it passes, its unlikely to have any real impact on the ground, just recall the UNGA resolution that passed in March last year demanding Russia’s immediate withdrawal from Ukraine, which hasn’t happened.
What it will provide is clarity on where all U.N. member states stand on the conflict and that will be revealed when the vote take place.
Gaza is still being strangled:
