The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed a resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stop attacking UN facilities, and comply with international law in line with its obligations as an occupying power.
The vote followed October’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which outlined Israel’s responsibilities under both the UN Charter and humanitarian law. Israel has only allowed into Gaza a fraction of the humanitarian aid deliveries agreed to as part of the United States-brokered ceasefire that came into effect in October.
The UN resolution, tabled by Norway alongside more than a dozen other states, secured support from 139 countries. Only 12 voted against, including Israel and the US, while 19 abstained. Introducing the draft, Norway’s Permanent Representative Merete Fjeld Brattested warned that “2024 was among the most violent years in three decades, 2025 has followed suit,” adding that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory remained “a particular point in mind”.
“Civilians are paying the highest price. Respect for humanitarian principles is eroding. The most fundamental tenets of humanitarian law are under pressure,” she said, emphasising that the ICJ’s advisory proceedings were crucial for clarifying state obligations. Brattested noted that member states had sought legal clarity “on fundamental issues about the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Palestine”.
She pointed to recent attacks that underscored the urgency of the Court’s findings, including UN chief Antonio Guterres’s condemnation of Israel’s “unauthorised entry” into UNRWA’s Sheikh Jarrah compound. “As stated by the secretary-general, this is in clear violation of Israel’s obligations to respect the inviolability of United Nations premises,” she said.
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