UPDATE - Israel rejects 'despicable' UN resolution for Gaza cease-fire

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By Anadolu staff

JERUSALEM (AA) — Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Saturday termed "despicable" a UN General Assembly resolution demanding a humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip.

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution Friday that called for an immediate "durable and sustained humanitarian truce" in Gaza.

"We reject outright the UN General Assembly despicable call for a cease-fire," Cohen wrote on X.

"Israel intends to eliminate Hamas just as the world dealt with the Nazis and ISIS," he added.

The Israeli army widened on Friday its air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas into Israeli territory on Oct. 7

The resolution, which was presented by nearly 50 countries, including Türkiye, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was approved by a vote of 120 - 14, with 45 nations abstaining.

Adopted at the 10th Emergency Special Session meeting on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the draft resolution expresses "grave concern" over the "latest escalation of violence" since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The resolution condemned "all acts of violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terror and indiscriminate attacks, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destruction."

It also demanded that "all parties immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law."

The resolution emphasized the importance of "preventing further destabilization and escalation of violence in the region."

The conflict in Gaza began Oct. 7 when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood -- a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air

Hamas said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians

The Israeli military then launched a relentless bombardment of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, with a ground operation widely expected, despite warnings of its possible dire impact.

Nearly 8,800 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 7,326 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis. Some 70% of the deaths in Gaza are women and children, according to official figures.