UN General Assembly to vote on calling for Gaza ceasefire

The United Nations General Assembly will vote Thursday for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" in Gaza, a week after the United States used its veto to stop a similar push in the Security Council.

It also said that Israel, "the occupying Power, immediately end the blockade... and ensure that aid reaches the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip," which, after more than 20 months of war, is facing a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

The General Assembly "strongly (condemn) any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access".

It also calls for "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" seized during the Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.

Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, where, according to the UN, the entire population is at risk of famine.

More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s war on Gaza, which several countries, as well as many international rights groups and experts, now qualify as an act of genocide.