Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 13th Dec. World Body on Tuesday called for an emergency special session on the long standing Israel-Palestine conflict, as the crisis in Gaza on going and the Security Council remains deadlocked and divided to take further action. UN General Assembly voted on draft resolution demanding an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis underscored the urgency to bring to an end the suffering of innocent civilians in his remarks to the emergency session on Gaza crisis.
He reiterated the demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
“We have one singular priority – only one – to save lives,” he stressed.
“Stop this violence now”, he said.
He declared the 10th Emergency Special Session open once more, highlighted the new request to meet once again in light of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Mr. Francis said there was now “an onslaught on civilians, the breakdown of humanitarian systems and profound disrespect for international law and international humanitarian law” being shown by combatants.
Even war has rules and we must not deviate from core principles and values, he said.
He said almost 70 per cent of the dead are women and children.
Francis said the world was witnessing an “unprecedented collapse” of a humanitarian system “in real time”. The UN must bring an immediate end to the suffering of civilians, he insisted.
It is high time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, he said.
Austria’s ambassador to the UN Alexander Marshik said his country “has thoroughly considered the draft resolution before us today,” welcoming the text explicitly demanded the release of all hostages and demanding humanitarian access.
He called on delegates to accept their short amendment, which cites the role of Hamas in instigating the latest escalation of violence.
“This resolution falls short in many ways, including the right of Israel to ensure its citizens are safe and naming the terrorist group in taking of hostages,” he said.
He said that if the UN Security Council was able to name the extremist group Hamas in a resolution that was adopted, the UN General Assembly “should also have the courage to do the same. We therefore ask all of you to support the amendment.
Egyptian ambassador Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud, said the resolution was “very simple, clear and explicit”, and long overdue.
“It only includes four operational paragraphs the implementation of these paragraphs are yet to happen, even though the tragic humanitarian situation is unbearable for the Palestinians,” he said.
He noted the destruction of the health and humanitarian support system in Gaza and recalled the letter by the UNRWA Commissioner-General highlighting the dire situation in the enclave.
“The adoption and implementation of [this resolution] which is specifically calling for a ceasefire is the only guarantee for saving innocent civilians,” he said.
“The Arab group stresses that the efforts by a minority of States standing against international public opinion” were based on the concept that Israel has a right to defend itself.
He added that as the occupying power, Israel does not have that right, under international law, claiming a “despicable” case of “double standards”, related to Palestinians.
War crimes against Palestinians needed to be addressed, he said.
He said genocide was being used as a tool of war in the case of Palestine, and it left unchecked it would damage the credibility of the whole UN.
The draft resolution was co-sponsored by 21 member states and two amendments are tabled.
Over 79 speakers are scheduled to address the Assembly and the session is expected to continue beyond this evening.
The emergency meeting of UNGA was held after the Security Council failed to adopt a similar resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unconditional release of hostages as well as humanitarian access.
That resolution was not adopted because one of the permanent member – United States vetoed, 13 Council members voted in favor and the United Kingdom abstained.
Security Council’s emergency meeting was convened followed the Secretary-General’s Antonio Guterres invocation of Article 99 of the UN Charter one of the most powerful tools at his disposal which urged the body to help stop the carnage in Gaza strip.
The draft resolution is due to be voted on by the 193-member body, as well as amendments proposed by Austria and the US, respectively.
According to latest information, Egypt is set to introduce the draft, which has been sponsored by Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and State of Palestine.
The draft resolution in front of the Assembly this afternoon has some notable differences from the one vetoed by the US in the Council on Friday.
The draft noted 7 December letter from the UNRWA Commissioner General addressed to the President of the General Assembly.
Philippe Lazzarini the head of UNRWA warned that the agency’s ability to implement its mandate in Gaza is “severely limited” and that the primary platform for humanitarian assistance to over 2.2 million people in the enclave is “on the verge of collapse”.
The draft refers to previous resolutions regarding the Question of Palestine as well as the relevant Security Council resolutions on the topic.
It authorizes the President of the General Assembly to resume the emergency special session, after its temporary adjournment at the end of the latest deliberations.
The key points in common, include an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; demanding that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably regarding protection of civilians; and a demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.
Austria has proposed an amendment, that inserts the phrase, “held by Hamas and other groups” in relation to the hostages still being held by Palestinian militants in Gaza, as well as inserting the word “immediate” in reference to ensure humanitarian access.
US amendment reflects its continued point of contention regarding Hamas, which it designates as a terrorist group, called for wording to be inserted “unequivocally” rejecting and condemning “the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages” as the first operative paragraph.
The resolutions by the General Assembly, though not legally binding on nations, do carry immense moral weight, represented the collective resolve of the UN membership on a matter of grave importance.
These resolutions lead to key legal frameworks and standards, such as the over 60 human rights instruments underpinning the international rights regime, which emanate from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Declaration was proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1948, and by itself is not binding.
The emergency session is a continuation of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly that last met on 26 October amid the present crisis in Gaza, during which it adopted a resolution on the crisis, calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.”
The Assembly decided to adjourn the session temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly to resume its meeting upon request from Member States.
The emergency special session is convened pursuant to the Assembly’s 1950 landmark “Uniting for Peace” resolution, under which the body can convene an “emergency special session” within 24 hours, should the Security Council “fail to exercise its primary responsibility” for the maintenance of international peace and security.
The session convened for the first time in April 1997, after a request from Qatar.
It followed a series of Security Council and General Assembly meetings regarding the Israeli decision to build a large housing project in an area of East Jerusalem.
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