The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, days after the US vetoed a similar measure in the Security Council.
A total of 149 countries voted in favour while 12, including the US, Israel and Argentina, opposed the resolution. And 19 countries abstained.
The resolution, presented by Spain, demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
It underscored the need for accountability to ensure Israel’s adherence to international law but stopped short of explicitly calling for sanctions.
In addition, it “strongly condemned any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access”, and further stressed the obligation to avoid depriving Gaza’s civilians of basic survival needs, “including by wilfully impeding relief supplies and access”.
Before the resolution's passage, Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour declared the measure's language to be the “strongest to date” but stressed that words must now turn into decisive action.
“Israel’s continuing defiance of international law, UN resolutions and global condemnation demands an immediate response,” Mr Mansour said.
He urged member states to stamp their national authority: “Use the tools available to you, each and every one of you.
“No arms, no money, no trade to support the oppression, ethnic cleansing and land theft against Palestinians."
While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they serve as a significant indicator of global opinion. Previous UN calls to end the war between Israel and Hamas have gone unheeded.
Unlike the Security Council, where permanent members such as the US have the power of veto, the General Assembly operates on a majority vote.
There has been increasing international pressure over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where thousands have been killed and millions face severe shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
With the vote taking place days before an international conference at the UN aimed at reviving two-state negotiations, the text also reiterated the General Assembly's “unwavering commitment to the two-state solution … where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security".
The vote comes more than 77 years after the General Assembly’s 1947 resolution partitioned British-ruled Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. Israel declared independence in 1948, sparking a war with neighbouring Arab nations, while Palestinian statehood remains unrealised.
The US is now urging countries to boycott next week’s UN conference, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia.
When asked by The National about Israel's attendance in next week's summit, Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said “absolutely not".
"We will not take part in this conference," he said. “I was very happy to see that the United States decided also not to participate in this circus."
Mr Danon also took aim at French President Emmanuel Macron.
“When Mr Macron arrives at the UN, I will ask him if he has solved all the problems in France and Europe. If he thinks coming here and pushing this conference will actually be constructive, it's not constructive.”
He also criticised the resolution for not demanding the immediate release of the 55 hostages still being held, not condemning Hamas “for the atrocities” it committed on October 7, and not holding the militant group accountable.
In October 2023, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza, with 120 votes in favour. By December 2023, support grew significantly, as 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Later that month the assembly increased its call, adopting a resolution, with 158 votes in favour, demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
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