At its Emergency Special Session, the General Assembly passed a resolution urging an immediate Gaza ceasefire and widespread access to humanitarian aid.
The resolution, which was passed on Thursday, demands "an immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire, to be adhered to by all sides."
It sharply condemns the employment of starvation as a weapon against civilians and illegal obstruction of humanitarian relief. It stresses the obligation not to deny civilians in the Gaza Strip items necessary for subsistence, including by intentionally impeding relief commodities and access, based on Xinhua news agency.
The resolution highlights that under international law, an occupying power has the obligation to see that humanitarian relief is delivered to all populations in need.
It requires immediate and unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance at scale to all Palestinian civilians across the Gaza Strip.
More specifically, the resolution urges Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately and fully lift the blockade, open all border crossings, and ensure that assistance is delivered to Palestinian civilians throughout the Gaza Strip without delay and at scale.
It emphasizes the need for responsibility to guarantee Israel's observance of international law and calls on all UN member nations to make necessary individual and collective actions in order to ensure compliance.
The resolution affirms a clear commitment to the two-state solution, Gaza being part of the Palestinian State, and definitively opposes any demographic or territorial alteration in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and any steps contrary to the historic character of holy places in the city.
It strongly condemns efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians or illegally take over Palestinian land and calls for their immediate and utter stop.
The resolution also urges an end to all settlement building, expansion, land takeover, house demolitions, forced displacement, and settler aggression in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
It calls for the taking of prompt actions to maintain the territorial unity of occupied Palestinian lands, including the city of East Jerusalem, and move towards the reunification of the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.
The resolution reaffirms the UN's permanent role on the Palestine issue until it has been fully settled in accordance with international law and applicable UN resolutions.
It also urges all member states to uphold the privileges and immunities of UN staff, specialized agencies, and the associated organizations, and refrain from acts that will hinder their activities.
The resolution stresses the safeguarding of humanitarian staff and the UN-associated staff, both national and locally recruited staff.
It emphasizes the responsibility of protecting medical personnel and humanitarian personnel taking part in medical activities, their transport and equipment, and hospitals and other medical facilities in all situations.
The resolution passed with 149 votes cast in favor, 12 against, and 19 abstentions.
Aside from Israel and the United States, the remaining 10 states that opposed the draft were: Argentina, Fiji, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
The first time the Emergency Special Session to deal with Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territory was held was in April 1997.
Thursday's 10th session resumed on the initiative of the Arab Group and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, after last week's US veto of a Security Council draft resolution that would have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate lifting of all obstacles to humanitarian assistance.
