United Nations: Faced with the “challenge of striking the right balance,” India has joined the General Assembly’s call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Last time, India was absent in the voting.
After the resolution was passed by 153 votes on Tuesday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj, underlined the complex factors, including the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, the humanitarian crisis, and the deaths of civilians, and said, “Our challenge is extraordinary. It’s about striking the right balance in difficult times.”
“Therefore, we welcome the fact that the international community has been able to find common ground to address the many challenges facing the region at this time,” he said.
Only 10 votes were cast against the resolution, submitted by Egypt and Mauritania with several co-sponsors, while 23 countries abstained.
The resolution also demands the release of all hostages and calls on all parties to comply with their international obligations, particularly to ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian access to relief in Gaza.
This resolution is only symbolic because, unlike the Security Council, the General Assembly does not have enforcement powers.
Israel’s ongoing counter-attack on Gaza in pursuit of Hamas has killed more than 18,000 Palestinians, including more than 8,600 children and 4,500 women, leading to a decline in international support for Israel.
An earlier ceasefire resolution in the General Assembly on October 27 had received 121 votes in favor, while on Tuesday the latest resolution received support from 153 countries, while votes against fell from 14 to 10 and abstentions fell from 44 to 23.
India, in a change from its policy of strong support for Palestine, abstained from voting in October, saying that the resolution did not condemn terrorism.
But on Tuesday, it voted for the resolution, although it also did not condemn terrorism or mention Hamas by name.
India supported an amendment moved by Austria to designate Hamas as a hostage-taking party and by the US to condemn “heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas.”. Voting on both was held on Tuesday.
The US, Israel, and Austria were among the 10 countries voting in favor of the resolution, while Britain and Germany were among the abstainers.
Highlighting the dilemma over the situation, Kamboj said that there are many dimensions to this situation.
“There was a terrorist attack in Israel on October 7 and there are concerns about the hostages taken at that time. There is a huge humanitarian crisis and massive loss of civilian lives, especially women and children,” he said.
India, which is facing pressure internally and internationally for a ceasefire due to the growing humanitarian crisis, took a balanced approach this time, voting for the two amendments and the resolution as a whole.
Last week, Washington vetoed a Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire, the second time it has done so.
Russia vetoed one resolution, and China also joined in vetoing the other resolution.
However, the council passed a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause in the fighting after Russia, the US, and Britain abstained.
Late last month, the warring parties agreed to a four-day humanitarian pause in the fighting to allow humanitarian relief supplies to reach Gaza and the release of hostages. It was later extended by three more days.
