India Abstains From UN Vote Calling For Humanitarian Truce In Gaza
India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict on Friday. The resolution was moved by Jordan which called for an unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza strip.
The 193 members of UN General Assembly met in the resumed 10th Emergency Special Session and voted on the draft resolution. The resolution was titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”. 140 nations voted in favour while 14 against it and 45 abstaining.
Apart from India, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and UK abstained.
US expressed outrage for not mentioning the militant group Hamas and referred it as “omission of evil”. Canada proposed an amendment that a paragraph condemning ‘Hamas attack on Israel’ and stated in the resolution that the general assembly “unequivocally rejects and condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting on 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages, demands the safety, well-being and humane treatment of the hostages in compliance with international law, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release”.
India voted in favour of the amendment along with 87 other countries while 55 members voted against it and 23 abstained. But the amendment was not adopted as they failed to have two-third majority.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution called for an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to cessation of hostilities.
It also called for “immediate, full, sustained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access” for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and other United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, reports NDTV.
Indian Ambassador Yojna Patel, Deputy Permanent Representative said that the terror attacks in Israel on 7th October were shocking and deserve condemnation. “Our thoughts are also with those taken hostages. We call for their immediate and unconditional release,” she added.
