Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary, expressed her deep concern regarding India's decision to abstain from voting on a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that aimed to establish a humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This resolution also called for providing aid access to the Gaza Strip and ensuring the protection of civilians.
India's abstention from the vote was due to the absence of any mention of the Hamas terrorist group, which had initiated an unexpected attack on Israel on October 7. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, using the X platform (formerly Twitter), stated that India's decision to abstain from the UNGA vote contradicted the principles India has upheld throughout its existence as a nation.
She expressed her dismay at the situation, where basic human rights were being violated, including the denial of food, water, medical supplies, communication, and power to millions of people. This resulted in the loss of lives, affecting men, women, and children in Palestine. In her statement, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra quoted Mahatma Gandhi, emphasizing that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
The conflict had resulted in the loss of over 7,000 lives in Gaza, following Israel's retaliatory strikes after the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, which had caused the death of 1,400 people and the taking of over 200 hostages.
The UNGA resolution had the support of more than 40 nations, including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, and South Africa. It received approval from 121 nations, while 14, including the United States and Israel, voted against it. India was among the 43 countries that abstained from voting, along with Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, rejected the resolution, claiming that the UN had lost its legitimacy and relevance. He accused those in favor of preferring to support "the defense of Nazi terrorists" rather than standing with Israel.
India, along with 87 other countries, had voted in favor of an amendment to the resolution. This amendment aimed to condemn the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the taking of hostages by the group. However, the amendment did not pass, as it failed to secure the required two-thirds majority.
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