The United Nations General Assembly has given the ‘green light’ this Thursday to a resolution drafted by Spain and Palestine that calls on Israel to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip and condemns the use of hunger as a weapon of war.
PUBLICIDAD
The voting on the text, titled ‘Protection of civilians and compliance with legal and humanitarian obligations,’ resulted in 149 votes in favor, 12 against --including the United States and Israel-- and 19 abstentions.
PUBLICIDAD
The text “strongly condemns any practice of causing civilian populations to suffer from hunger as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access”, while also “emphasizing the obligation not to deprive the civilian population in the Gaza Strip of essential goods for their survival.”
Likewise, it asks Israel, as the “occupying power,” to “immediately end the blockade, open all border crossings, and ensure that aid reaches the civilian population in the Gaza Strip immediately and on a large scale” in accordance with international law.
Furthermore, it requests that the resolution approved in June 2024 by the UN Security Council be complied with, which called for “an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, the return of the remains of hostages who died, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighborhoods in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.”
The resolution also “emphasizes the need to ensure accountability” and calls on members to adopt, both individually and collectively, “all necessary measures” to “ensure that Israel fulfills its obligations.”
In addition, the text voted on in the Assembly calls for “respecting and protecting medical and humanitarian personnel,” while also “emphasizing the obligation of parties in armed conflicts to respect and protect the civilian population and constantly strive not to cause harm to civilian property.”
“The text states that it reiterates its unwavering commitment to the two-state solution, according to which the Gaza Strip is part of the Palestinian state, and which would allow two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, to coexist in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders.”
The resolution was negotiated for several weeks and both the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, maintained high-level contacts to secure support from other countries for the initiative.