UN General Assembly passes resolution for humanitarian truce in Gaza

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza Strip.

The 193-member body passed the resolution, by a margin of 120 to 14, with 45 countries abstaining. The United States, Israel and Austria voted no.

The adopted resolution calls for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities” and “firmly rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population”.

It also stresses the need to avoid a wider escalation of the fighting and demands increased humanitarian aid for Gaza, where only a small handful of trucks carrying aid have been allowed to enter over the last week.

The UN resolution allso calls for “an immediate unconditional release of all civilian hostages illegally detained and the protection of all civilian facilities, such as hospitals and schools and their personnel.”

Hamas meanwhile welcomed the call for a break in the conflict and demanded its immediate application to allow the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip.