By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on “Israel” to allow full and unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and to respect the inviolability of United Nations facilities.

Approved on Friday, the resolution urges “Israel” to comply with its obligations under international law, including its duties as an occupying power and as a UN member state. The measure was introduced following a recent advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice [ICJ], which reaffirmed those legal responsibilities.

Sponsored by Norway along with more than a dozen other countries, the resolution passed with the support of 139 member states. Twelve countries voted against it, while 19 abstained.

Ahead of the vote, Norway’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Merete Fjeld Brattested, warned that 2024 ranked among the most violent years of the past three decades, with 2025 continuing along a similarly dangerous path. She said the situation in occupied Palestine was of particular concern, stressing that civilians were paying the heaviest price.

“Respect for humanitarian principles is eroding. The most fundamental tenets of humanitarian law are under pressure,” Brattested told the General Assembly, noting that the ICJ advisory proceedings were meant to clarify states’ legal obligations, especially regarding the delivery of life-saving aid to civilians.

She highlighted the urgency of the Court’s findings by citing recent incidents, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ condemnation of what he described as “Israel’s” unauthorized entry into the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees [UNRWA] in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”].

Such actions, she said, constituted a clear violation of the obligation to respect the inviolability of UN premises and she urged member states to support the resolution accordingly.

Meanwhile, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund [UNICEF] has warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Earlier this week, the agency said thousands of children were suffering from acute malnutrition as a direct result of continued restrictions on food and humanitarian supplies imposed by “Israel,” despite a ceasefire agreement that was meant to guarantee the free flow of aid.

UNICEF reported that around 9,300 children have been treated for acute malnutrition in Gaza since October, a stark figure for a besieged population already pushed to the brink.

Under the ceasefire between the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and “Israel,” which came into effect on October 10, 2025, “Israel” was obligated to open border crossings and allow unrestricted entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance. However, UN officials say these commitments have not been honored, with most crossings remaining closed and only limited aid allowed into the territory.

Since October 2023, the “Israeli” army has martyred about 70,400 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, and wounded roughly 171,000 others in a two-year war on Gaza that has left much of the densely populated enclave in ruins.