Singapore has registered its grave concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and underlined the need for an immediate ceasefire.

“I wish to reiterate Singapore’s grave concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has led to the loss of many thousands of innocent civilian lives,” said Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

He was speaking at a reconvened Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Dec 15. 

Delegates from more than 20 nations spoke at the 3.5-hour-long meeting, voicing support for a UN resolution earlier this week which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages trapped in the crisis.

The emergency session was convened three days ago, after the United States on Dec 8 vetoed a binding UN Security Council resolution – co-sponsored by Singapore – for a ceasefire. 

The session overwhelmingly adopted the ceasefire resolution – also co-sponsored by Singapore – with a large majority of 153 of 193 member states voting in favour. Ten, including Israel and the US, voted against it while 23 nations abstained.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

“Singapore supports the call made in this resolution for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; this is essential for the urgent and unhindered provision of humanitarian aid to civilians throughout Gaza,” Ambassador Gafoor said.

Israel’s air and ground assault over the past 10 weeks has killed more than 18,700 Palestinians, while thousands more are missing and feared dead. 

The offensive, which flattened much of northern Gaza, has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis and displaced 85 per cent of 2.3 million Gazans from their homes.

Israelis see the war as necessary to prevent a repeat of the Oct 7 attack when Palestinian militants crossed the border and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 240 people hostage. More than 116 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive, which began on Oct 27.

“We recognise that Israel has the right to defend its citizens and territory, but in exercising this right, Israel must comply fully with international humanitarian law,” said Gafoor.

“This means responding in a proportionate manner. This means avoiding the indiscriminate killing of civilians. This means avoiding the collective punishment of civilians, and this means avoiding the permanent mass displacement of civilians.”

He also expressed “regret” that the UN resolution adopted on Dec 12 did not condemn or even make reference to the actions of Hamas whose Oct 7 attack triggered the crisis.

“Singapore wishes to place on record our view that terrorist attacks carried out by any party cannot be condoned, or justified by any rationale,” he said. 

He reiterated Singapore’s view that the only viable path to a durable, just and comprehensive solution to the crisis is a negotiated two-state solution. This framework calls for establishing an independent state for Palestinians alongside that of Israel.

“We call on leaders from both sides to show leadership, exercise restraint and take the difficult but necessary steps towards a two state solution,” he said.

Delegates from Israel and Palestine, in their speeches, blamed each other for the crisis and tried to persuade the international community to uncritically accept their version of the crisis.  

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, described the Israeli assault as a war against “Palestinian civilians, Palestinian children, Palestinian history, Palestine presence, Palestinian existence”.

“This vote must be followed by resolute collective action to ensure implementation of this resolution without any further delay. Every day, every hour, every minute counts, as a human tragedy continues unfolding,” he said while thanking countries for their support.

“We salute all of you who stood with the Palestinian people, and who stood with justice and with international law.”

Israel’s delegate Gilad Erdan called the support for a ceasefire “sickening”.

“Every resolution passed here that doesn’t support the elimination of Hamas only serves to empower these terrorists and promote a future of regional suffering,” he said. 

“Israel cannot stop until Hamas is defeated. I apologise, no General Assembly resolution will force us to commit a collective suicide. We will defend ourselves and we will defend our future.”

Other speakers at the session, extending support for the resolution, included delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and Qatar.

The UN meeting took place as the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan travelled to the region to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war Cabinet as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the enclave’s postwar future.

Differences between the US and Israeli leadership has come into the open although the White House continues to arm Israel with weapons shipments and provides it diplomatic cover. It believes a halt in the fighting would allow Hamas to regroup and plan more attacks.

President Joe Biden said on Dec 13 that that Israel would suffer the loss of international support over how it is conducting the war, including its indiscriminate bombing of Gaza,

They also disagree over what will happen when the war ends. Biden supports a two-state solution and a leading role for the Palestinian Authority. 

Netanyahu has spoken of an open-ended Israeli occupation of Gaza and continued Israeli settlement of the West Bank. Israel also says it will not allow a postwar foothold for the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit the Middle East next week to continue the talks.

Only 11 emergency special sessions have been called at the UN in the last 73 years. The last one was convened six days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

What makes these “special” is the opportunity for nations to make their voice heard when disunity creates an impasse at the more powerful UN Security Council.

The decisions of the General Assembly have no legally binding force but they carry the weight of world opinion and the moral authority of the world community. THE STRAITS TIMES