Yojana Patel, India’s Deputy Permanent Representative, delivers India’s vote explanation at the U.N. General Assembly’s Emergency Special Session on October 27, 2023. (Screenshot Photo: X/@IndiaUN NewYork)
New York : In the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), India chose to abstain from voting on a resolution led by Jordan, which aimed to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and ensure “unhindered” humanitarian access to the war-torn region. Notably, the resolution did not mention Hamas.
During the explanation of India’s abstention, Yojna Patel, India’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, asserted that there is no justification for terrorism. India expressed its concern over the October 7 terror attack on Israel. Additionally, India called for the release of hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas Islamist terror group and welcomed all efforts to de-escalate tensions, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as deeply concerning.
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India reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to address the protracted Israel-Palestine conflict. The conflict had resulted in over 1,400 reported casualties in Israel following a severe assault by the Palestinian terror group, Hamas.
The emergency special session of the UNGA convened to vote on the resolution proposed by Jordan, with the backing of over 40 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, South Africa, and Russia. The resolution, titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations,” passed with 120 nations voting ‘Yes,’ 14 voting ‘No,’ and 45 abstaining.
In addition to India, countries such as Australia, Germany, Canada, Japan, Ukraine, and the UK also abstained from voting on the resolution. The United States argued that the omission of any reference to Hamas in the resolution equated to an “omission of evil.”
Before the vote, an amendment put forward by Canada, supported by the US, was considered. India voted in favor of the Canadian amendment to the Jordanian proposal on the Israel-Palestine resolution, which condemned the Hamas terror attack on Israel. However, the resolution failed to achieve a two-thirds majority vote in the UNGA and was not adopted.
This situation underscores India’s position at the UN, where it abstained from the Jordanian resolution that did not explicitly condemn Hamas terror attacks on Israel but supported the Canadian amendment, which did precisely that. The amendment called for the inclusion of a paragraph in the resolution that “unequivocally rejects and condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting on 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages, demands the safety, well-being, and humane treatment of the hostages in compliance with international law, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.”
