Switzerland backs UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Middle East
. Some 120 countries in the UN General Assembly voted in favour of the resolution on Friday including several Arab states, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.
Keystone / Sarah Yenesel
Switzerland was one of 120 countries, which backed a resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. The resolution was supported by several Arab states and rejected by Israel and the United States.
This content was published on
3 minutes
NZZ/Keystone-SDA
Español
es
Suiza respalda una resolución de la ONU que pide un alto el fuego en Oriente Próximo
The resolution was put forward by Jordan after several attempts to vote on a similar resolution failed at the UN Security Council. Some 120 countries in the UN General Assembly voted in favour of the resolution on Friday including several Arab states, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. Some 14 voted against including Austria, Hungary, the United States and Israel. Some 45 abstained including several European countries such as Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.
The resolution condemns all violence against the Israeli and Palestinian civilian population, calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all “illegally detained” civilians and demands unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. The resolution didn’t identify the Palestinian militant group Hamas as the reason for the escalation in violence.
A request from Canada to add an article condemning Hamas’ terrorist attacks and calling for the immediate release of the hostages to the resolution failed to reach the required two-thirds majority.
In a statementExternal link explaining the reason for the vote, Switzerland said that it condemned the attacks by Hamas in the strongest terms from the very first hours. While it supported the resolution because it responds to the most pressing need of allowing humanitarian aid to populations in need, “the condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas is important. This is why we also supported the amendment proposed by Canada,” wrote the note. “We regret that the unjustifiable and shocking acts of terror by Hamas, as well as a call for the unconditional and immediate release of the hostages, were not taken into account in the final text.”
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
WEF gives Crystal Award to Beckham, Yamamoto and von Fürstenberg
This content was published on
The World Economic Forum in Davos handed out awards to UNICEF ambassador David Beckham, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and women's rights activist Diane von Fürstenberg.
Swiss CEOs betting on a strong domestic market in 2025
This content was published on
Swiss business leaders are optimistic about 2025, despite a world in crisis, says a new survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
What to expect when Switzerland heads UN Security Council
This content was published on
Switzerland will chair the UN's top security body in May. But what does this role entail, and what challenges will Swiss diplomats face?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.