United Nations General Assembly has voted to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It also demanded immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution was adopted with 158 votes in favor in the 193-member world body. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The UNGA also threw its support behind the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It adopted a second resolution with 159 votes in favor to deplore a new Israeli law that will ban UNRWA’s operations in Israel from late January.
UNRWA was established by the General Assembly in 1949. The UN has repeatedly said there is no alternative to UNRWA, which provides aid, health and education to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
