Balls of fire and smoke rise above Gaza City during an Israeli strike, October 27, 2023. /CFP
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza as Israeli bombardments and punitive measures left the besieged Palestinian enclave without communications, internet services, water and other necessities.
The resolution – drafted by Arab states – passed to a round of applause with 120 votes in favor, while 45 abstained and 14, including Israel and the United States, voted no. Iraq later changed its vote to yes from an abstention after complaining of a technical difficulty, so the final tally was 121 votes in favor and 44 abstentions.
"It sends the message to everyone enough is enough," said Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour, adding that, "the carnage against our people has to stop and humanitarian assistance should begin to enter the Gaza Strip."
Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan rejected the resolution, saying the UN no longer holds any legitimacy or relevance and accused those who voted yes of preferring to support "the defense of Nazi terrorists" instead of Israel.
As fears grow that the conflict could spark a wider war, the assembly stressed the "importance of preventing further destabilization and escalation of violence in the region" and called on "all parties to exercise maximum restraint and upon all those with influence on them to work toward this objective."
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People search for survivors and the bodies of victims through the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli bombardment, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 26, 2023. /CFP
Explosions continued to light up the Gazan sky late Friday as Israeli forces were pounding heavily on the besieged Palestinian enclave, where communications and internet services were cut off following previous Israeli punitive measures that included the blockade of water, electricity, fuel and other necessities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that "following the activities which were carried out over the last few days, (IDF) ground forces are extending their ground activities this evening."
So far, the number of casualties caused by the night raids is unknown. However, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it lost mobile and internet contact with operation rooms in Gaza, expressing grave concern about whether local crews could continue ambulance services.
The near-total telecommunications blackout in Gaza risks providing cover for "mass atrocities," the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch said on Friday.
"This information blackout risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations," the group's senior technology and human rights researcher, Deborah Brown, said in a statement.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began. More than 1,400 Israelis were killed, the majority of them in the Hamas offensive that occurred on October 7, according to figures released by the Israeli military.
(With input from agencies)