India was among 153 nations that voted in favour of a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to demand a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Ten member nations of the United Nations voted against the resolution and 23 countries abstained from voting. The United States and Israel were among the members that voted against the resolution.
The resolution, sponsored by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine, among others, demands that all parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians. Palestine is an observer state of the United Nations.
While the resolution is non-binding, it comes amid growing pressure on Israel to halt its war on Gaza.
The Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza has killed over 18,000 people since October 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Around 2.2 million people have been displaced from their homes in the besieged region.
The resolution also called for “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access”.
More than 200 persons had been reportedly taken hostage by Palestinian militant group Hamas when it led an attack on southern Israel on October 7. The militant group is believed to be holding on to many of the captives.
Before the resolution was passed, two amendments making specific references to Hamas were voted down by the members. The United States had proposed adding a paragraph condemning Hamas for attacking Israel in October. The attack killed 1,200 people in Israel and triggering the war.
India voted in favour of the amendment proposed by the United States.
In October, India abstained from voting on a similar resolution at the General Assembly for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing that the draft lacked condemnation of Hamas.
Israel ‘can’t say no’ to independent Palestine, says Biden
United States President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Israel risks losing international support for its war on Gaza because of its “indiscriminate” bombing of the Palestinian territory.
Biden also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to change his stance on the two-state solution and “can’t say no” to an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu said that there was a disagreement with Biden about how Gaza would be governed after the war.
Also read: Two defiant ghettoes: Kin of the oppressed of Warsaw have become the oppressors of Gaza
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