Israel rejects UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza

Israel has rejected the call for a ceasefire in Gaza which has been passed by the United Nations General Assembly, with the country’s foreign minister describing the resolution as “despicable.” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We reject outright the UN General Assembly despicable call for a ceasefire.” “Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS,” he added.

We reject outright the UN General Assembly despicable call for a ceasefire.
Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS.

— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) October 27, 2023

The UN resolution which was passed on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all civilians, the protection of civilians and international institutions, and ensuring the safe passage of humanitarian aid into the Strip. A total of 120 nations voted in favour of the resolution while 14 countries, including the US and Israel, voted against it. Following its passage, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said, “Today is a day that will go down in infamy. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance.” He added, “The majority of the international community has shown that it prefers to support the defense of Nazi terrorists rather than support the law-abiding state of Israel to defend it civilians.” Palestine, Hamas welcome resolution The UNGA resolution, however, drew praise from Hamas and the Palestinian authority. Hamas said in a statement that it hails the passage of the ceasefire and calls for its immediate implementation. The Palestinian Authority foreign ministry said, “This vote signals the commitment of a moral majority of the international community to uphold its obligations and the rejection of double standards and politicization of international humanitarian law.” It added that the “international community has spoken in a clear and united voice against Israel’s ongoing crimes and deliberate violations of international law.”