Live Updates: Australia votes at UNGA for Gaza truce in rare split with US

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

04:50 GMT - Australia backs UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire in rare split with US

Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said the country had supported a UN resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza out of concern for civilians in the besieged enclave, in a rare split with close ally the United States.

After dire warnings by UN officials over a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza in the two month long Israel's war there, the 193-member UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire with 153 countries including Australia voting in favour and 23 abstaining. Ten countries voted against including the US and Israel.

"Australia has consistently affirmed Israel's right to defend itself," Wong told a news conference in Adelaide after the UN resolution passed. "And in doing so, we have said as Israel must respect international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals must be protected. "The resolution we have supported is consistent with the position we have previously outlined on these issues.

04:35 GMT - Resolve of Palestinians made Biden realise Israel's war in Gaza is 'madness': Hamas

The resistance and steadfastness of the Palestinian people made US President Joe Biden realise the "madness" of Israel’s military invasion of Gaza, a senior Hamas leader said.

Osama Hamdan made the remarks at a press conference in Beirut when he was asked about a comment by Bid en earlier in the day that Israel is losing support around the world.

The Israeli invasion "will have catastrophic repercussions" on Israel and on Biden’s reelection prospects, he added.

03:51 GMT - UNGA overwhelmingly votes for Gaza truce; US, Israel vote 'no'

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in besieged Gaza — a call the paralysed Security Council has so far failed to make, piling pressure on Israel and its ally the US.

The body, which includes all 193 UN member nations, voted 153 in favour of the resolution, exceeding the 140 or so countries that have routinely backed resolutions condemning Russia for its assault on Ukraine.

Ten countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against it, while 23 abstained. The Palestinian envoy to the UN called the General Assembly ceasefire resolution "historic".

03:30 GMT - Hamas welcomes UN demand for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Hamas has welcomed the United Nations' demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in besieged Gaza and urged the international community to continue pressuring Israel to abide by the resolution, a senior official of the Palestinian resistance group, Izzat El Reshiq, said in a statement.

More than three-fourths of the 193-member UN General Assembly backed the move, which was vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week.

03:00 GMT - Yemen's Houthi official advises vessels on risks of navigating through Red Sea

Mohamed Ali al Houthi, head of Yemen's Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, has posted a message on X advising on the risks that cargo ships could face while travelling through the Red Sea.

Any vessels navigating through the Red Sea are not allowed to travel towards the occupied Palestinian territories, the post said, adding that all ships that pass Yemen should keep radios turned on, and quickly respond to Houthi attempts at communication.

Houthi also advised against cargo ships "falsifying their identity" or raising flags different from the country belonging to the cargo ship owner.

For our live updates from Tuesday, December 12, click here.