Australia and 157 other nations have voted in favour of an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
The resolution, voted on today by the United Nations General Assembly, also called for Hamas to release the 101 hostages remaining in Gaza after its 7 October attack on Israel.
It’s the first time Australia has supported a call for an “unconditional and permanent” cessation of fighting.
Australia also voted for a separate motion calling for Israel to overturn a law that would stop the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from operating in Gaza and the West Bank.
General Assembly
The UN has six main bodies, including the General Assembly (GA), Security Council and the International Court of Justice.
The GA is the UN’s “chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ”.
All 193 UN member states can vote for, against, or abstain from voting on resolutions in the GA.
Resolution 1
The first resolution adopted by the GA today called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
158 nations, including Australia, voted in favour, while 13 countries abstained. Nine (including Israel and the U.S.) voted against the resolution.
Resolution 2
The second successful resolution called on Israel to overturn its ban on UNRWA in the region.
Israel has alleged 12 UNRWA employees participated in Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023. Eight of these employees are being investigated, three have been suspended, and one has been cleared.
It’s since passed a law to stop UNRWA from working in Israel, which would effectively ban it from accessing Gaza and the West Bank next year.
Australia
Despite voting for the first motion, Australia’s UN Ambassador James Larsen said it should have condemned Hamas.
On the UNRWA vote, Larsen said Australia’s position was that “any affiliation or involvement with terrorist organisations cannot be tolerated”.
However, he said Australia voted in favour of the resolution as “UNRWA must be allowed to continue its life-saving work”.
General Assembly resolutions are recommendations and are not legally binding. Unlike the Security Council, no country can veto a vote in this chamber.
Ceasefire negotiations
This week, U.S. media reports suggested progress was being made in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Mediators are reportedly pushing for an initial 60-day ceasefire similar to that currently in place between Israel and Hezbollah.
