News - Armenia says yes to UN resolution on Gaza truce

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas and demanding the release of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and the protection of civilians, BBC reports. The resolution, drafted by Arab states, passed by 120 votes to 14 (Israel and the United States voted against). 45 states abstained, but the resolution is considered adopted if two-thirds of the total number of voters support it, and abstentions are not taken into account. General Assembly resolutions are not binding, but they reflect the sentiments of the international community. A UN Security Council resolution would have been mandatory, but four attempts to pass it were thwarted by the veto of one or another country. As Reuters notes, Canada tried to include in the resolution a clause condemning “the Hamas terrorist attack... and the taking of hostages,” but this amendment did not pass - 88 countries voted in favor, 55 against. The resolution, however, demands the "immediate and unconditional release" of all prisoners, as well as their humane treatment. Armenia voted for the adoption of the resolution.