Roving Periscope: With no mention of Hamas in the resolution, India abstains in the UN vote on Gaza
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: India on Friday abstained from voting in the United Nations as the Jordanian-drafted resolution did not mention the Hamas terror group, and the US also expressed outrage at the “omission of evil.”
As the ongoing 21-day-old conflict raged between Israel and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, India abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the war leading to a cessation of hostilities. It also called for unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.
After the October 7 invasion by Hamas, Israel launched a massive counter-offensive against Hamas in a do-or-die war, which has so far claimed the lives of over 9,000 people on both sides and wounded thousands of others.
The 193 members of the UNGA, which met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session, voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, and South Africa, the media reported on Saturday.
The resolution titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” was adopted with 120 nations voting in its favor, 14 against it, and 45 abstaining.
Besides India, countries that abstained included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the UK.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution did not make any mention of the militant group Hamas, whose invasion of Israel triggered the crisis, with the US expressing outrage at the “omission of evil.”
Before the UNGA voted on the resolution, it considered an amendment proposed by Canada and co-sponsored by the US to the text.
Canada asked for inserting a paragraph in the resolution stating that the UNGA “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 favor of this amendment along with 87 other nations, while 55 member states voted against it and 23 abstained. As it failed to obtain a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, the draft amendment could not be adopted, said the President of the 78th session of the UNGA, Dennis Francis.
The Jordanian-drafted resolution called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.
It also demanded the immediate, continuous, sufficient, and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip, including but not limited to water, food, medical supplies, fuel, and electricity.
The draft resolution stressed the imperative, under international humanitarian law, of ensuring that civilians are not deprived of objects indispensable to their survival.
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.
It demanded humanitarian access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and all other humanitarian organizations.
This should be done by upholding humanitarian principles and delivering urgent assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, encouraging the establishment of humanitarian corridors and other initiatives to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, according to the resolution.
Expressing outrage at the resolution not naming Hamas and calling it an “omission of evil,” the US said: “As you’ll notice, two keywords are missing in the resolution before us. The first is Hamas. It is outrageous that this resolution fails to name the perpetrators of the October 7th terrorist attacks: Hamas. Hamas. It is outrageous,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in her remarks before the vote on the resolution, said.
She added that another keyword missing in the resolution is “hostage.”
“This resolution makes no mention of the innocent people – including citizens of many of you in this room – many of you here today who have citizens who are being held hostage by Hamas and other terrorist groups,” Thomas said.
“These are omissions of evil. And they give cover to, and they empower Hamas’ brutality. And no member state – no member state – should allow that to happen. You should not let it stand,” she said.
The US envoy said it is for these reasons that Washington has co-sponsored an amendment put forward by Canada to the draft resolution “that corrects these glaring omissions.”
The resolution demanded that all parties immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly in regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, as well as the protection of humanitarian personnel and facilitate humanitarian access for essential supplies and services to reach all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip.
It also called for the rescinding of the order by “Israel, the occupying power, for Palestinian civilians and United Nations staff, as well as humanitarian and medical workers, to evacuate all areas in the Gaza Strip north of the Wadi Gaza and relocate to southern Gaza.”
The resolution called for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive, demanding their safety, well-being, and humane treatment in compliance with international law.
