By KUNA,
United Nations : The General Assembly late Friday demanded full respect for Security Council resolution 1860 which called for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
In a recorded vote of 142 in favour, four against – Israel, US, Nauru and Venezuela – and eight abstentions – Australia, Canada, C`te d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria and Syria – the Assembly also called for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including, food, fuel and medicines.
Those who abstained said the text is too soft on Israel, and objected to the disregard of a tougher text previously put out by the Assembly President.
Although the resolution is not binding, it sent a strong message that the fighting must stop.
The vote came at the end of a two-day meeting of the Assembly’s 10th emergency special session during which a great number of speakers participated. It also came three weeks after Israel launched its assault on Gaza, killing over 1,100 people and injuring 5,000 more.
It also came one day after Israeli shells destroyed UNRWA warehouse in its main compound, sending hundreds of tons of food and medicine up in flames.
Council Resolution 1860 was adopted by the council last Thursday. The US abstained.
On Friday, the US deputy envoy Aljandro Wolff told the assembly that it “must be careful not to complicate efforts to seek a solution or undermine ongoing diplomatic activity to halt the violence in Gaza.” The Assembly resolution called upon all parties, including the Security Council, “to use all means at their disposal to ensure full and urgent compliance” with that resolution. It expressed its support for the mission currently undertaken by the Secretary-General and other international and regional efforts, in an indirect reference to the Egyptian and Turkish initiatives.
The resolution, put forward by Egypt, was the result of a lengthy debate over both content and voting procedure.
It prompted Assembly President Miguel D’Escoto to tell the members that he would be less than frank if he did not say he was “very disappointed” and that the Assembly was in far worse shape than he had thought. “We will never make it if we don’t act in a more decisive and affirmative manner,” he said.