India abstains from UN resolution for ‘humanitarian truce’ between Israel, Hamas

India on Saturday abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.

The resolution, which also sought a continuous supply of aid to civilians in Gaza, was adopted with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.

Besides India, those who abstained from voting include Australia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Sweden, Italy and Japan.

The United States, Israel, Hungary and Austria were among those that voted against the resolution.

BREAKING: UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution on “protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” on the ongoing Gaza crisis

FOR: 120
AGAINST: 14
ABSTAIN: 45

LIVE COVERAGEhttps://t.co/MOnKoTdNsb pic.twitter.com/WG68GaxMMV— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) October 27, 2023

Israel had announced a siege of the Gaza Strip after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an attack on the country on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israelis. Since then the Gaza Strip has been relentlessly attacked through airstrikes. Israeli attacks have killed over 7,000 people in Gaza.

On October 12, India had reiterated its longstanding position supporting the establishment of an independent Palestine. The Indian government had described the cross-border assault by Hamas on Israel as a “terrorist attack”.

While abstaining from the vote on Saturday, India said that the October 7 attack was shocking and called for immediately releasing hostages...

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