Dec 12, 2023 at 11:03 PM Update: 7 hours ago
A large majority of the United Nations voted in favor of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday. The outcome is not binding, but does show how the world views the conflict.
More than three quarters of member states (153) voted in favor of an immediate pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas. 23 countries voted against and 10 countries, including the Netherlands, abstained.
The General Assembly resolution also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. In addition, both parties must comply with international law, especially regarding the protection of civilians.
The vote is not binding, but does reflect the attitude of the rest of the world towards the conflict. UN chief António Guterres has long been calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. He took a rare step last week, telling the Security Council that the war could threaten international peace and security.
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The Netherlands does not vote: ‘Ceasefire harms Israel’s defense rights’
The Netherlands abstained from voting. That was to be expected, because outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte previously announced that he would not vote. A ceasefire would harm Israel’s right to self-defense, he said.
According to him, the resolution is “not balanced”. It does not condemn Hamas and does not recognize Israel’s right to self-defense, he said. Rutte does argue for humanitarian pauses in fighting and much more aid to Gaza.
Not all parties agree with Rutte’s choice. Kati Piri (GroenLinks-PvdA) said she was “speechless” by the Dutch position. She thinks that the outgoing cabinet is making a “historic mistake” by abstaining from the vote. “When will we tell Israel enough is enough?”
D66, Volt, SP, PvdD and DENK were also very critical.
US finds ceasefire ‘dangerous’ for Israelis and Palestinians
The US voted against the UN resolution. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said ahead of the vote that Washington supports aspects of the resolution, such as the need to urgently address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, protect civilians and free hostages.
But she added: “Any ceasefire at this point would be temporary at best and dangerous at worst, for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Moreover, Israel and the US believe that Hamas would benefit from a ceasefire. Washington therefore supports pauses in combat to protect civilians and enable the release of hostages.
The conflict explained
2023-12-12 22:03:43
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