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UNGA Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza with 158-9 Vote, Urges Hostage Release

Dec 12, 2024, 03:10 PM

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with a vote of 158-9, and 13 abstentions. This resolution also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The vote comes amidst ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 40 Palestinians in recent airstrikes, including 15 people killed while guarding aid convoys in the southern Gaza Strip. These attacks have targeted civilians, aid workers, and homes, intensifying the global outcry over potential war crimes and genocide. The resolution also supports the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which Israel has moved to ban. Despite the non-binding nature of General Assembly resolutions, they reflect a significant portion of world opinion calling for an end to the conflict that has claimed over 44,800 Palestinian lives since October 2023, with more than half being women and children, and 106,257 wounded.