Chicago – June 12, 2025
On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly strongly called for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza and full access for humanitarian aid. This decision came after the United States blocked a similar proposal in the Security Council last week.
The 193-member General Assembly passed a resolution with 149 votes in favor, 19 abstentions, and opposition from the U.S., Israel, and 10 other countries. The resolution also demanded the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the return of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The resolution condemned the use of starvation as a weapon and criticized the denial of humanitarian aid to civilians, stating that depriving people of basic survival necessities is unlawful.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, called the resolution a “blood libel” and urged countries not to participate, calling the resolution a “farce” that could harm hostage negotiations and fail to address Hamas’ actions. He argued that not linking a ceasefire to the release of hostages would encourage terrorist organizations to abduct civilians.
Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they represent the global stance on the issue. Past calls for an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country in the General Assembly has veto power.
