United Nations to vote on demand for immediate Gaza ceasefire despite U.S., Israel opposition

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 7:37 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 12

The United Nations General Assembly volition ballot connected Thursday connected a draught solution that demands an immediate, unconditional and imperishable ceasefire successful the warfare successful Gaza aft the United States vetoed a akin effort successful the Security Council past week.

The 193-member General Assembly is apt to follow the substance with overwhelming support, diplomats say, contempt Israel lobbying countries this week against taking portion successful what it called a "politically motivated, counterproductive charade."

General Assembly resolutions are not binding but transportation value arsenic a reflection of the planetary presumption connected the war. Previous demands by the assemblage for an extremity to the warfare betwixt Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas person been ignored. Unlike the UN Security Council, nary state has a veto successful the General Assembly.

Thursday's ballot besides comes up of a UN conference adjacent week that aims to reinvigorate an planetary propulsion for a two-state solution betwixt Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has urged countries not to attend.

WATCH | U.S. vetoes Security Council resolution:

In a enactment seen by Reuters, the U.S. warned that "countries that instrumentality anti-Israel actions connected the heels of the league volition beryllium viewed arsenic acting successful absorption to U.S. overseas argumentation interests and could look diplomatic consequences."

The U.S. past week vetoed a draught UN Security Council solution that besides demanded an "immediate, unconditional and imperishable ceasefire" and unhindered assistance entree successful Gaza, arguing it would undermine U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.

The different 14 countries connected the assembly voted successful favour of the draught arsenic a humanitarian situation grips the enclave of much than two million people, wherever the UN warns famine looms and assistance has lone trickled successful since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade past month.

'False and defamatory': Israel's UN ambassador

The draught solution to beryllium voted connected by the General Assembly connected Thursday demands the merchandise of hostages held by Hamas, the instrumentality of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the afloat withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

It demands unhindered assistance entree and "strongly condemns the usage of starvation of civilians arsenic a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian entree and depriving civilians ... of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding alleviation proviso and access."

"This is some mendacious and defamatory," Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon wrote successful a missive to UN member states, sent connected Tuesday and seen by Reuters.

Danon described the General Assembly draught solution arsenic an "immensely flawed and harmful text," urging countries not to instrumentality portion successful what helium said was a "farce" that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.

Whether the ballot volition person an effect connected the result successful Gaza is debatable, fixed erstwhile efforts person produced small result.

In October 2023, the General Assembly called for an contiguous humanitarian truce successful Gaza with 120 votes successful favour. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to request an contiguous humanitarian ceasefire. And successful December past twelvemonth the assemblage demanded — with 158 votes successful favour — an immediate, unconditional and imperishable ceasefire.

The warfare successful Gaza has raged since 2023 aft Hamas militants killed 1,200 radical successful Israel successful an Oct. 7 onslaught and took immoderate 250 hostages backmost to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed oregon captured were civilians.

Israel responded with a subject run that has killed implicit 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza wellness authorities. They accidental civilians person borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands much bodies person been mislaid nether rubble.