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UN General Assembly Calls for "Humanitarian Truce" in Gaza
(AP) Edith M. Lederer - The UN General Assembly approved a nonbinding, Arab-drafted resolution Friday calling for a "humanitarian truce" in Gaza by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions, after rejecting a Canadian amendment backed by the U.S. that unequivocally condemned the Oct. 7 "terrorist attacks" by Hamas and demanded the immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas. Voting against the resolution were Israel, the U.S., five Pacific island nations, and four European countries: Austria, Croatia, Czechia and Hungary. Eight EU members voted in favor, including France. Canada's UN Ambassador Robert Rae said that the resolution which was approved appears to forget that the events of Oct. 7 happened - "one of the worst terrorist attacks in history." The vote on the Canadian amendment was 88-55 with 23 abstentions, but it failed to get a 2/3 majority of those voting for or against. Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan called it "a day that will go down in infamy," saying, "Israel will not stop the operation until Hamas terror capabilities are destroyed and our hostages are returned."