United Nations (UN) has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as 153 countries, Kenya included voted at the General Assembly in favor of the same.
In a vote that took place on December 12, 2023, including 193 member countries, 10 voted against the ceasefire, 23 abstained while 7 did not register any vote.
The 10 countries that voted against the call include United States, Israel, Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay.
In addition, the 23 countries that abstained include The United Kingdom, Argentina, Bulgaria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Romania, Slovakia, South Sudan, Togo, Tonga, Ukraine, and Uruguay.
On the other hand, Haiti, and Six other countries did not vote at all.
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Why Vote Against the Ceasefire?
As Israel and USA ambassadors were defending their choice, they noted that a ceasefire was only favoring the Palestine, Hamas group and was disadvantageous to the people in Israel, Gaza.
According to Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan the ceasefire was to ensure the survival of Hamas.
“A ceasefire means one thing and one thing only – ensuring the survival of Hamas, ensuring the survival of genocidal terrorists committed to the annihilation of Israel and Jews,” he noted.
Also, he alleged that a ceasefire was a death sentence for more people in Israel as it would prolong the suffering of the people in Gaza.
“A ceasefire is a death sentence for countless more Israelis and Gazans,” he told the General Assembly.
“By voting in favor of this resolution you are supporting the survival of Jihadist terror and the continued suffering of people of Gaza,” he added.
On her part, the US Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, while addressing the UN said that a ceasefire would only be a temporary solution which would cause much suffering on the part of Israel.
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“Any ceasefire right now would be temporary at the best and dangerous at worst – dangerous to Israelis, who would be subject to relentless attacks, and also dangerous to Palestinians, who deserve the chance to build a better future for themselves, free from Hamas,” she noted.
Recent Developments in Hamas-Gaza War
On Tuesday, December 12, Israel begun pumping seawater into Gaza aiming at flooding underground tunnels and structures.
The Netanyahu government said the hostages are being held in underground tunnels, hence the aim to flush the terrorists out of their underground lair.
The death toll in Gaza on Monday, surged to 18,205, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Additionally, 7,000 people were reported missing with some 70 percent of the dead reported to be women and children.
