As the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a nonbinding resolution advocating for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza that would end hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas authorities, Jamaica abstained from voting.
Kamina Johnson Smith, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade stated that discussions were still ongoing when the vote was finalized in an update posted on X, previously Twitter, this evening.
- Advertisement -
Smith stated, “Regrettably, consultations were underway w/ Kingston which did not conclude in time for the close of vote. [Jamaica] welcomes the action taken by the UNGA and hopes that it contributes to progress. JA chairs the CARICOM caucus at the UN and earlier delivered the statement attached.”
Social media users have criticized Jamaica for not voting.
The resolution received twelve votes from CARICOM member nations.
The 193-member world body rejected a Canadian amendment supported by the US before passing the resolution by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions.
The resolution produced by Hamas does not reference the demand for the immediate release of hostages abducted by Hamas or the categorical condemnation of the organization’s October 7 “terrorist attacks.”
Only four European nations—Austria, Croatia, Czechia, and Hungary—as well as Israel and the United States, its closest friend, were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution.
The majority of European nations abstained or voted yes.
Brian Wallace, Jamaica’s permanent representative to the UN, described the assaults on Israel as “abhorrent” and “acts of terror that must never be condoned” in a statement made on behalf of CARICOM.
The speaker declared, “Ordinary Israeli citizens—men, women, and children—were murdered, wounded, abducted, and assaulted.” He then demanded the unconditional and prompt release of all captives.
According to Wallace, nearly “4,600 lives have been lost” and the Israeli retaliation “has been devastating to the ordinary Palestinians in Gaza.”
“CARICOM, therefore, joins the calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities by all parties, the opening of humanitarian corridors to facilitate unhindered access to food, medical supplies, fuel, water, and other humanitarian products and services so desperately needed by the affected civilian population.”
Jamaica “condemns in strongest terms” the Hamas attack, according to a statement made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on October 7. He also stated that there was no place for “violence and terror” and that diplomatic solutions should be sought.
The UN Security Council, which is split and has not been able to agree on a resolution for the previous two weeks, is not “more courageous, more principled” than the General Assembly, according to Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour.
Two were vetoed, while two were not approved with nine “yes” votes.
UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel referred to it as “a day that will go down in infamy,” following the vote he noted: “Israel will not stop the operation until Hamas terror capabilities are destroyed and our hostages are returned. … And the only way to destroy Hamas is to root them out of their tunnels and subterranean city of terror.”
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 7,000 Palestinians have perished because of Israel’s retaliatory bombings, while over 1,400 Israelis were murdered in the surprise Hamas onslaught.
