India Votes For UN Ceasefire Resolution, Israel Faces Pressure From Allies

Facing calls from many members of the United Nations for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, Israel is now coming under pressure from its allies, including the United States, which has criticised its bombing in the small strip of land as "indiscriminate".

India was among the countries that voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution, 'Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations', demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. As many as 153 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while 10, including US, Israel and Austria, voted against it and 23, including Germany, Argentina and Ukraine abstained from voting.

On October 7, Hamas operatives launched a massive, multi-pronged attack on Israel on October 7, which has been described as the bloodiest in the country's history. Around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 240 people, most of whom were Israelis, were taken hostage. After the attack, the Israeli government launched a withering offensive on Gaza, vowing to destroy Hamas and bring the hostages home. 

Several hostages had been freed as part of a truce between Israel and Hamas last month. 

According to the Hamas-run health ministry, the war has killed more than 18,400 people, mostly women and children. On Wednesday, the ministry said that at least another 50 people were killed in the latest wave of Israeli air strikes across Gaza, according to news agency AFP. 

'Starting To Lose Support'

In his most blunt remarks since the October 7 attack, US President Biden told a campaign event in Washington that Israel had "most of the world supporting it" after the Hamas attack. "But they're starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place," he said, according to the AFP report. 

Speaking at a news conference later, Mr Biden toned down his comments and reiterated his country's support for Israel, but said that "the safety of innocent Palestinians is still of great concern".

Mr Biden's remarks came in the wake of Washington's repeated calls to Israel to take more care to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, saying too many Palestinians have been killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said there was "disagreement" with Biden over how a post-conflict Gaza would be governed, reflecting a rare rift between the allies.

'Continuous Suffering'

Other Israeli allies, Australia, Canada and New Zealand issued a joint statement and called for a ceasefire, saying that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected and that Israel must respect International humanitarian law. 

"We recognise Israel's right to exist and right to defend itself. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians," Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese, Justin Trudeau and Christopher Luxon said in a joint statement. 

"We remain deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained," the joint statement said. 

Their statement came after the UN General Assembly's resolution, with the number of countries that voted for it exceeding the 140 or so that have routinely backed resolutions condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

'Hell On Earth'

The Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees Philippe Lazzarini described the situation in Gaza as "hell on earth".

"Back in #Gaza, endless deepening tragedy. People are everywhere, live in the street, need everything. They plead for safety & for an end to this hell on earth," Mr Lazzarini posted on X, formerly Twitter, at the end of a visit to the territory.

"Saw videos of an @UNRWA  school in northern #Gaza blown up. It is outrageous. All public facilities, including hospitals & @UN schools are protected under international law. Parties to this brutal war have the coordinates of all our facilities in Gaza," he said in another post on X

In Gaza City, Hamas said via Telegram that Israeli forces raided a hospital and detained its director, according to the AFP report

The army did not immediately comment, but Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using hospitals, schools, mosques and tunnels beneath them as military bases. Hamas has denied these claims. 

The World Health Organization's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X he was "extremely worried" by reports of the raid, adding that his agency "urgently calls for the protection of all persons inside the hospital".

Earlier the UN humanitarian agency Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had said fighting had been reported near the hospital for three consecutive days. It also said two mothers were killed in a strike on the maternity ward, and that about 3,000 displaced people were trapped in the facility.

Israel's air and ground campaign has reduced much of Gaza to rubble. The United Nations said its satellite analysis agency UNOSAT had determined, based on a November 26 image, that 18 per cent of Gaza's infrastructure had been destroyed, the AFP report said. 

Children Displaced

The UN also estimates 1.9 million of Gaza's 2.4 million people have been displaced by the conflict, half of them children.

Aid groups have warned the territory will soon be overwhelmed by starvation and disease, and are pleading with Israel to boost efforts to protect civilians.

"The spread of diseases in Gaza has reportedly intensified, especially due to overcrowded living conditions; which adds to the strain on an increasingly overwhelmed health system and an increased risk of people dying," OCHA said. 

On Tuesday, Israeli air strikes killed at least 24 people in the southern city of Rafah, where tens of thousands are seeking shelter, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

At Rafah hospital, bereaved father Hani Abu Jamaa cradled the body of his young daughter Sidal, who was killed by shrapnel, according to the AFP report. 

He said there had been strong explosions overnight and he only found she was dead when he tried to wake her in the morning.

"Even if I live 100 years, I will never find another like her," he said, crying. "May God have mercy on her, oh Lord."

Fears of a wider conflict continue to grow, with Iran-backed groups targeting US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria, and daily exchanges of fire along Israel's border with Lebanon.

The Israeli army said in response to projectiles fired Tuesday from Lebanon and Syria, it retaliated by striking launch sites.