14 Countries Reject Israel-Palestine Ceasefire Resolution: Who Are They?

The United Nations (UN) issued a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, and demanding the opening of humanitarian access to Gaza.

According to *Al Jazeera*, the resolution was proposed during the second day of the UN General Assembly session in New York, United States, on Friday evening (October 27, 2023). 120 countries voted in favor, 14 voted against, and 45 abstained.

Indonesia was among the 120 countries that supported the ceasefire resolution. Retno Marsudi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, not only called for a ceasefire but also urged the formation of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate Israeli attacks on public facilities such as hospitals and places of worship. Retno also called for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza residents.

Countries supporting the resolution included Afghanistan, China, France, Iran, Lebanon, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, and others.

From the ASEAN region, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Timor Leste participated. The majority voted in favor, with only the Philippines abstaining.

The 45 abstaining countries included Australia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Iceland, Iraq, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and others.

The 14 countries that voted against the resolution were Israel, the United States, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.

The resolution was initiated by almost 50 countries, including Indonesia. According to *AP*, as reported by *CNN Indonesia*, the resolution calls for a ceasefire, demands that all parties comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and calls for the protection of civilians, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure essential for the survival of the local population.

The resolution also calls on Israel to revoke its order for Gazans to evacuate from north to south and strongly condemns all attempts at the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.

While this marks the UN's first response to the Hamas-Israel conflict, following previous failures to adopt any resolutions, this resolution is not legally binding. It serves primarily as a barometer of world opinion.

(See also: 23 Days of War, Palestinian Casualties Exceed 8,100)