Israel’s ambassador to the UN said a ceasefire gives Hamas terrorists a ‘free pass.’
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations condemned the General Assembly’s passage of a resolution urging an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict as “hypocritical” and ultimately aiding the terror group’s goal to destroy Israel.
On Tuesday, the U.N. General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, and compliance with international humanitarian law for the protection of civilians.
The resolution, which does not mention Hamas after the assembly rejected two proposed amendments, garnered substantial support, with 153 countries in favor, 10 against, and 23 abstentions. The United States and Israel were among the ten countries opposing the resolution.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan, who highlighted the “heinous acts of sexual violence” Hamas terrorists committed in their Oct. 7 rampage in southern Israel, decried the General Assembly’s move as “another hypocritical resolution.” The General Assembly’s resolution comes after a binding U.N. Security Council ceasefire resolution was vetoed by the United States on Friday.
In a speech on the U.N. floor ahead of the vote, Mr. Erdan asserted that Hamas needs to be held accountable for their attack and highlighted that Israel is already “taking every measure” to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza, charging that a ceasefire “has nothing to do with humanity.”
“Not only does this resolution fail to condemn Hamas for crimes against humanity, it does not mention Hamas at all,” said Mr. Erdan. “This will only prolong the death and destruction in the region; that is precisely what a ceasefire means.”
“I honestly don’t know how can someone look in the mirror and support a resolution that does not condemn Hamas and does not even mention Hamas by name,” he added.
Mr. Erdan stressed that Hamas intends to destroy Israel, and asked member states why they would “want to aid Hamas in continuing their rule of terror and actualizing their satanic agenda?”
During his speech, he held up a poster displaying the phone number of Hamas’ office in Gaza, urging U.N. members to call it if they want a “real ceasefire.”
