With the Israel-Hamas war now in its third month, the UN General Assembly vote this week demanding a ceasefire in Gaza shows how global opinion is shifting as the civilian death toll continues to rise.
In late October, Canada abstained when another resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza passed with 120 votes in favour.
This time, Canada joined the 153 countries voting in favour of demanding a ceasefire Tuesday, with just 10 against, including the U.S. and Israel, and 23 abstaining.
It’s the strongest statement to come out of the UN on the conflict since Israel launched a military operation in Gaza in response to the brutal attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 240 were taken hostage that day.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday at least 18,608 people had been killed by Israeli action in the months since, with more than 50,000 injured.
The vote happened after a rarely-called emergency special session, requested by Egypt and Mauritania after a similar resolution was vetoed at the Security Council by the United States on Dec. 8.
“The perpetration of this destructive war will lead to a full-fledged catastrophe,” said Egypt’s UN ambassador, Osama Abdelkhalek, at the podium of the General Assembly when making a case for the resolution.
“This will unfortunately mean that genocide will be used as a tool for war.”
The session also follows a strongly worded letter from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who invoked a little-used power of his office, Article 99, when he wrote to the Security Council on Dec. 6 that the situation in Gaza is at risk of complete collapse.
General Assembly resolutions are non-binding and leave the responsibility of action to each respective country. But, the votes are often seen as a snapshot of global opinion on the issue up for debate.
Amendments mentioning Hamas failed
The United States and Austria voted with Israel against the ceasefire, and each proposed amendments that would’ve included a specific mention of Hamas and condemnation of the Oct. 7 attacks.
“This resolution falls short in many ways, including the right of Israel to ensure its citizens are safe. And in naming the terrorist group responsible for the taking of hostages,” said Austrian ambassador Alexander Marschik, explaining his country’s proposal.
The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, said, “We support speaking out with one voice to condemn Hamas for its terrorist actions on October 7. Why is that so hard?”
Pakistan’s UN ambassador Munir Akram delivered scathing criticism of Israel, which received loud applause during the debate.
He said that blaming Hamas in the text without also holding Israel accountable for the situation in the region would be unjust.
“When you deny people freedom and dignity, when you humiliate and track them in an open air prison, where you kill them, as if they were beasts. They become very angry. And they do to others, what was done to them,” he said.
The amendments were voted on before the resolution but did not get the majority needed to be included in the text.
Many countries who supported the amendments still voted in favour of the resolution without either amendment, including Canada.
The federal government’s decision to back the resolution, which is directed at “all parties” but does not mention Hamas, has led to tension within the Liberal caucus back home, with one MP calling the resolution “unacceptable.”
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says he does not support the motion at the United Nations, which Canada voted for, calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Housefather says Canada went against its traditional position at the UN.
What changed for Canada
In the vote on the previous UN resolution, on Oct. 27, Canada abstained after its amendment condemning the attacks by Hamas failed to pass.
It has faced criticism for that decision, with growing protests across the country and worldwide calling for a ceasefire as harrowing images and stories of civilians killed have emerged.
Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae, said the urgent nature of the crisis on the ground weighed heavily in the decision to vote in favour of the resolution this time, even without the U.S. amendment.
“The situation on the ground is changing, it’s getting worse,” Rae said, speaking on Power and Politics after the vote. “We have to respond to that in a humanitarian way.”
Rae added that the vote does not change Canada’s support for Israel’s right to exist or defend itself against Hamas.
Just hours before the UN vote, Canada released an extensive letter along with the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand that included strong condemnation of Hamas and support for a two-state solution.
After Canada voted in favour of a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae said ‘we have to try’ for a two-state solution. ‘The situation on the ground is changing. It’s getting worse. We have to respond to that in a humanitarian way,’ Rae told Power & Politics.
Change in U.S. tone
Tuesday’s vote also shows a very clear picture of Israel, completely isolated in the Middle East, with all of its Arab neighbours resoundingly voting against the U.S. and Austrian amendment, while also voting in favour of the humanitarian ceasefire resolution.
“We express our dismay that the Palestinian people are unable to live a dignified life,” said the Saudi Arabian UN ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil.
Even Israel’s strongest supporter, the U.S., is voicing concern over Israel’s tactics in Gaza.
At a fundraising event on Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said global opinion favours Israel, but “they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place.”
The tone is a significant change from the Biden Administration messaging on Israel at the start of the conflict, which offered “iron-clad” U.S. support for its close ally.
The United Nations on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted in favour of demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, though the General Assembly resolution is not legally binding. Ahead of the vote, Israel’s UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, issued a strongly worded statement saying a ceasefire would only ensure ‘the survival of jihadist terror and the continued suffering of people of Gaza.’
After the vote
In an effort to pressure every part of the UN body, Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said he and other UN ambassadors from the Arab Group and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will now consult with Security Council members about how to best implement the humanitarian ceasefire and try to negotiate opening multiple points of access to allow for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
“We need to have this ceasefire to allow this massive amount of humanitarian assistance to reach every corner of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“It is our collective duty to continue in this path, until we see an end to this aggression against our people.”