The UN General Assembly is set to vote on Thursday demanding an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, following last week’s Security Council veto by the US .
UNITED NATIONS, June 12 (Reuters) – The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on Thursday on a proposed resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and lasting ceasefire in Gaza. This move comes after a similar resolution was blocked by the United States in the Security Council last week.
Diplomats expect the 193-member Assembly to pass the measure with broad backing, despite intense efforts by Israel in recent days to dissuade countries from supporting what it has described as a “politically-driven and harmful spectacle.”
General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they hold significant moral and political influence as a reflection of the international community’s stance on the conflict. Previous calls by the Assembly to halt the fighting between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas have largely gone unheeded. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, where permanent members can use their veto power, the General Assembly operates without such a mechanism.
The upcoming vote on Thursday takes place just days before a U.N. conference aimed at reviving efforts toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. The United States has advised nations against participating in the event.
U.S. Warns of Diplomatic Fallout Over Anti-Israel Actions as U.N. Vote Nears
In a diplomatic note reviewed by Reuters, the United States cautioned that countries adopting anti-Israel stances following an upcoming U.N. conference may be perceived as opposing U.S. foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic repercussions.
This comes shortly after the U.S. vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza and unimpeded humanitarian access. Washington argued the resolution could interfere with its ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement.
Despite the U.S. veto, the other 14 members of the Security Council supported the resolution amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 2 million people are affected, with the U.N. warning of an impending famine. Aid delivery has been minimal even after Israel eased an 11-week blockade in May.
The U.N. General Assembly is now preparing to vote on a new resolution. The draft demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and unrestricted humanitarian access. It also strongly condemns the use of starvation and obstruction of aid as methods of warfare.
Israel’s U.N. envoy Danny Danon sharply criticized the resolution in a letter to member states, labeling it “false and defamatory.” He called the text “immensely flawed and harmful” and urged countries to boycott what he described as a “farce” that undermines efforts to secure the release of hostages and fails to hold Hamas accountable.
The General Assembly has previously passed similar resolutions. In October 2023, 120 nations supported a call for a humanitarian truce. That number grew to 153 in December and reached 158 in favor of a permanent ceasefire later the same month.
The ongoing war erupted in October 2023 when Hamas launched a deadly cross-border attack, killing approximately 1,200 people in Israel and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military response has since killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, who report that civilians have borne the majority of casualties. Thousands more are believed to be trapped under rubble.
