UN Assembly Votes Overwhelmingly for Gaza Ceasefire, Hostage Release

On 12 June 2025, the United Nations General Assembly voted on a record-breaking resolution to immediately, unconditionally and indefinitely declare a ceasefire in Gaza, free all the Hamas hostages, and resume humanitarian aid freely to avoid famine. There were 149 affirmative votes out of 193 member nations, with 12 member nations—Israel and the United States included—objecting and 19 abstaining.

The non-binding resolution "condemns the weaponization of hunger against civilians as a military tactic and illegal denial of humanitarian access" and demands the full withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and freedom of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel. Israel's U.N. Delegate Danny Danon called the vote a "farce" that would complicate hostage negotiations and warned members that by not tying a ceasefire to the release of hostages, "you sent a message to all terrorist groups that taking civilians hostage pays." Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea asserted the resolution was "performative" and would neither free hostages nor improve life for Gaza's civilians.

While General Assembly resolutions carry moral authority as an expression of global opinion, they do not carry a legal obligation to act, unlike Security Council resolutions which may be vetoed by one country to rule them out. Indeed, the United States last week vetoed a near-identical draft at the Security Council, reflecting Washington's concern that such action would complicate tenuous ceasefire talks.

The vote is coming at a deteriorating humanitarian situation: more than two million Palestinians face famine threats following an 11-week siege, and over 54,000 civilians have been killed since October 2023. Delegates also referred to an upcoming U.N. conference to attempt to revive the two-state solution, albeit the United States has requested members not to proceed.