United Nations, US: Representatives from Israel and Arab countries exchanged sharp accusations Thursday at the UN General Assembly, as the body discussed the Israel-Hamas war following the Security Council’s failure to take action.
The matter has exposed deep divisions in the Security Council, with a total of four resolutions gaining insufficient traction or being blocked by a veto in less than two weeks.
Arab countries are hoping that the General Assembly, which has a different power balance and where no country holds a veto, will be able to act, even if any resolution would be nonbinding.
But the back-and-forth Thursday remained in attack mode, with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who spoke on behalf of 22 Arab countries, accusing Israel of “making Gaza a perpetual hell on Earth.”
“The trauma will haunt generations to come,” he said, adding that “the right to self defense is not a license to kill with impunity. Collective punishment is not self defense, it is a war crime.”
Israel’s relentless bombardment was launched on October 7 in retaliation for the Hamas attack which Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people. More than 200 others were kidnapped.
The strikes, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, have killed more than 7,000 people — a toll expected to rise substantially if Israeli troops massed near the border move into the Palestinian territory.
“To stop this madness, you have a chance to do something, to give an important signal. Choose justice, not vengeance,” said Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour.
Jordan has circulated a draft resolution that is still under discussion, which is meant to be put to vote on Friday.
The text focuses largely on the humanitarian situation, calling for an “immediate cease-fire” and “unhindered humanitarian access” to the Gaza Strip.
It also calls on all parties to comply with the “protection of civilians,” but makes no mention of the Hamas attack.
Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan blasted the text.
“The drafters of the resolution claim to be concerned about peace,” he said. “Yet the depraved murderers who initiated this war are not even mentioned in the resolution.”
“The only place this resolution belongs is in the dustbin of history,” he added.
Accusations over Israel-Hamas war at UN General Assembly
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Accusations over Israel-Hamas war at UN General Assembly
- Israel’s relentless bombardment was launched on October 7 in retaliation for the Hamas attack
- Jordan has circulated a draft resolution that is still under discussion
Arab and Islamic states reject Israel’s recognition of Somaliland
- Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” on Friday
- Saudi Arabia on Friday expressed full support for sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity of Somalia
A group of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, alongside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have firmly rejected Israel’s announcement of its recognition of the Somaliland region within Somalia.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the ministers condemned Israel’s decision, announced on December 26, warning that the move carries “serious repercussions for peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region” and undermines international peace and security, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The statement described the recognition as an unprecedented and flagrant violation of international law and the charter of the United Nations, which uphold the principles of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, JNA added.
Israel formally recognized Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state” and signed an agreement to establish diplomatic ties, as the region’s leader hailed its first-ever official recognition.
The ministers reaffirmed their full support for the sovereignty of Somalia, rejecting any measures that would undermine its unity or territorial integrity.
They warned that recognizing the independence of parts of states sets a dangerous precedent and poses a direct threat to international peace and security.
The statement also reiterated categorical opposition to any attempt to link the move with plans to displace the Palestinian people outside their land, stressing that such proposals are rejected “in form and substance.”
Alongside the Jordanian foreign ministry, the joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Turkiye and Yemen, as well as the OIC.
Saudi Arabia on Friday expressed full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Somalia, and expressed its rejection of the declaration of mutual recognition between Israel and Somaliland.
