Israel denounced as “despicable” a resolution the U.N. General Assembly approved on Friday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but making no mention of Hamas or the fact that the Islamist terror organization is holding hundreds of hostages in the Strip.
The nonbinding resolution, which passed by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions, calls for the release of all civilians, the protection of civilians and international institutions, and ensuring the safe passage of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
It omits any mention of Hamas, which murdered more than 1,400 Israelis in the worst one-day massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, or the roughly 230 people taken hostage to Gaza, including dozens of foreign nationals.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen decried the “despicable” resolution and said that “Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS.”
Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan also dismissed the resolution, adding that Israel would continue to defend itself.
“This is a dark day for the U.N. and for mankind,” Erdan said, vowing Israel will use “every means” in fighting Hamas.
“Today is a day that will go down as infamy. We have all witnessed that the U.N. no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance,” he added.
Hamas praised the resolution, which was introduced by Jordan, and called for its immediate implementation, including the clause calling for the entry of fuel and relief materials for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The vote
Fourteen countries voted against the resolution: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States.
The resolution was supported by Western countries whose leaders recently paid solidarity trips to Israel, including France, while others including Germany, the U.K., Greece and Cyprus abstained.
The 45 countries that abstained also included Australia, Canada, Finland, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia and Ukraine.
Belgium, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland were among the European nations that voted in favor.
US condemns vote
In a speech ahead of the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield blasted the Jordanian initiative for neglecting to mention Hamas.
“It is outrageous that this resolution fails to name the perpetrators of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks: Hamas,” Thomas Greenfield said, noting that there is also no reference to hostages.
Canada had sought to have an amendment added to include a condemnation of Hamas. A majority of members backed the proposal, but it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to be adopted.
