India backs ceasefire in Gaza at UNGA

In a shift from its earlier position, India joined 152 other countries on Monday in voting for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, asked all parties to comply with international humanitarian law with a focus on protection of civilians, and demanded the release of all hostages as well as humanitarian access.

- Prashant Jha

While 23 countries abstained from voting on the UNGA resolution, ten countries, including the US and Israel, voted against the motion titled "Protection of Civilians and Upholding Legal and Humanitarian Obligations".

India had abstained on a similar resolution that hadn't categorically named Hamas and held it responsible for the terrorist attack of October 7 that triggered the Israeli offensive. But in an explanation of the vote on Monday, India's permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said India was voting for the resolution and that there are many dimensions of the issue.

"There is the terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October and the concern for the hostages taken at that time. There is an enormous humanitarian crisis and large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially of women and children. There is the issue of observing international humanitarian law in all circumstances. And there is the endeavor to find a peaceful and lasting two-state solution to the long-standing Palestine question," Kamboj said. The statement weaves in the Hamas attack without explicitly referring to the group, Israeli response without specificontinued on cally holding it responsible for violating international law, and India's long-standing commitment to the two-state solution.