UN Assembly calls for ceasefire in Gaza: Resolution adopted

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17: The UN General Assembly with overwhelming majority adopted a resolution on Friday night calling for an immediate, durable ceasefire in Gaza. It rejected a more critical and hard hitting text proposed by a group of Muslim countries, Eucudor, Venezuela, Bolivia and other Latin American states.Although the resolution is non-binding, the diplomats who supported it said the overwhelming majority in favour presented a moderate viewpoint that would strengthen Egyptian mediating efforts in the Gaza crisis.The numbers on the electronic board showed 142 countries in favour, four opposed and eight abstaining. However, the exact figures were not immediately clear as several countries said their votes had not registered due to electrical faults.Voting against were Israel, the United States and the Pacific island of Nauru, which believed the resolution was biased against Israel. Venezuela, which thought it was too soft on the Jewish state, was also shown by the board as voting against although the country’s delegate said he abstained.