UNITED NATIONS, Dec 12: The U.N. General Assembly appeared set to demand on Tuesday an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the two-month long conflict between Israel and Hamas after the United States vetoed such a move in the Security Council.
No country has a veto power in the 193-member General Assembly, which is due to vote on a draft resolution that mirrors the language of one that was blocked by the United States in the 15-member Security Council last week.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight and reflect global views on the war in the Gaza Strip, as health authorities in the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave say the death toll from Israels offensive had passed 18,000.
The assembly vote comes a day after 12 Security Council envoys visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, the only place where limited humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries have crossed into Gaza. The United States did not send a representative on the trip.
"With each step, the U.S. looks more isolated from the mainstream of U.N. opinion," said Richard Gowan, U.N. director at the International Crisis Group.
The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Palestinian militants in a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel. —REUTERS
