India was among the 153 member states which voted in favour of the United Nations resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday. The resolution saw overwhelming support for the ceasefire with only 10, including the US, Israel and Austria, voting against it. There were 23 abstentions.
The draft resolution, sponsored among others by Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Palestine, demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated its demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians." It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.
The previous UN resolution calling for a "humanitarian truce" on 27 October attracted 120 votes in favour, 14 against, with 45 abstentions. India was among the countries that abstained then.
Interestingly, Hamas was not mentioned in Tuesday's resolution, which was amended at the request of the US, which sought the insertion of a paragraph which condemned the attack by Hamas on Israel. India voted in favour of the amendment.
UN representative for Israel, Gilad Erdan, lashed out at the resolution calling it "hypocritical" because it makes no mention of Hamas. He said a ceasefire will only prolong death and destruction in the region."
However, Palestine welcomed the resolution, calling the vote in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza a "historic day in terms of the powerful message that was sent from the general assembly". "It is our collective duty to continue on this path until we see an end to this aggression against our people," said Riyad Mansour.
Meanwhile, the growing isolation faced by Israel was reflected in U.S. President Joe Biden's words to Tel Aviv, who said the "indiscriminate" bombing of civilians was hurting international support. Biden's scathing remark on Israel came at a fundraising event on Tuesday. He said Israel is starting to lose global support over its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza.
Though he reiterated that Israel could count on US backing, Biden said: "Israel's security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world. But they're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place," he said.
Biden also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to change his hardline government and that ultimately Israel "can't say no" to an independent Palestinian state. Israeli hardliners oppose the two-state solution.
He, however, added that there was "no question about the need to take on Hamas" and Israel had "every right" to do so. Biden is facing growing pressure, even from within his own Democratic Party, to rein in Israel's military campaign.
A joint statement by the leaders of Canada, Australia and New Zealand also said the "price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous the suffering of all Palestinian civilians."
