Israel Rejects UN Resolution for Gaza Ceasefire

Facts

• Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Saturday rejected a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate 'durable and sustained humanitarian truce' in the Gaza Strip.¹
• Terming the UN call for a ceasefire as 'despicable,' Cohen said, 'Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS.'²
• The resolution, adopted by a vote of 120-14 on Friday, had condemned 'all acts of violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terror and indiscriminate attacks.'³
• Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israel Defense Forces will continue to target Hamas-linked infrastructure as well as 'terror operatives of all ranks' as the troops have been instructed to continue Gaza operation 'above the ground and underground' until further notice.⁴
• As Israel announced its forces have intensified their ground operations, all internet and phone communications — which the Palestinian telecoms company Jawwal termed the 'last of the international routes' connecting Gaza to the world — appear to be down in the Gaza Strip.⁵
• This comes after Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with Russia's Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow reportedly to solve 'practical issues, including the freeing of hostages.'⁶

Sources: ¹AA, ²Middle East Monitor, ³New York Daily News, ⁴DAWN, ⁵BBC News and ⁶Kyiv Post.

Narratives

• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The New York Times. The ceasefire proposed by the UN may reduce civilian casualties in the short term, but it would leave Hamas, a terrorist organization, in power and forbid tens of thousands of Israelis from going back to their homes. If Hamas is left in control, it will doom not just Gaza but also much of the rest of the Middle East. Israel must continue to conduct persistent targeted ground raids to eliminate Hamas.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. While the tragic violence Hamas committed against Israeli civilians is abhorrent, it doesn't justify the deepening humanitarian crisis that Tel Aviv has inflicted on Gaza. Israel isn't singling out Hamas alone but rather inflicting punishment on the Palestinian people — who have suffered decades of death and instruction — as a whole. This bombardment must end.

Predictions