Only nine countries, including Austria and the Czech Republic, voted with Israel against the resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Shortly before this, US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his country was losing international support. The US, which is Israel’s strongest ally, continues to use its Security Council veto to protect itself, but Biden is already talking about “indiscriminate bombing” and has expressed concern about Israel’s plans for the day after the war. Even Biden recommended Bibias he calls it, to “change” his government.

The disagreements between Biden and Netanyahu are not new, but it is striking that the US president has now expressed them publicly, specifically to donors from his party. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was the one to go further, saying Israel was not doing enough to limit civilian casualties.

They have already clashed over settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and the extremism of ultranationalist ministers such as Itamar Ben-Gvir or Bezalel Smotrich. The Biden administration has asked Israel to take into account experiences in the north to avoid causing so many civilian casualties, but the campaign is similar. Israel claims Hamas is using its population as human shields, but even if that were the case, international law prohibits attacks on hospitals and schools.

They also disagree on what to do when Israel believes it has destroyed Hamas: the US favors giving the Palestinian National Authority a proper role in Gaza, but Israel wants to remain in the strip for a while and is effectively forcing the Gazans to exodus , which leads to no one knows where. To Sinai?

UN, barometer

A total of 153 countries, 33 more than 193 on Oct. 27, supported the need for a truce in a war that has already killed more than 18,600 Gazans, including more than a third of them children. That’s according to Hamas, which runs the strip, but there is no doubt that the trail of destruction and death is being caused by the explosions, which are now concentrated in the south, where hundreds of thousands of civilians fled at the start of this war.

In Israel, 1,200 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Hamas, and about 240 were kidnapped. Of these, 105 were released in exchange for the release of three times as many Palestinian prisoners, including numerous minors.

The non-binding General Assembly resolution expresses “serious concern about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian population.” It calls for international protection of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, calls for the release of all hostages and reminds that international law must be respected. On Friday, the United States vetoed a similar text at the UN Security Council.

It is interesting to observe the changes in voting that have occurred since the adoption of the first ceasefire resolution on October 27th. This data is a barometer that Israel is gaining more and more critical voices.

What stands out in the European Union is that Britain and Germany, which support Israel, are abstaining. Mass protests against Israeli bombings in Gaza, which have occurred in capitals such as London and Berlin, show the extent to which public opinion believes Israel is waging an unrestricted war.

Among those most explicitly demanding a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds is the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, who this Wednesday used his assessment of the six-month period of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU to appeal to Twenty-seven people to act together to stop the war in the sector Gaza. Last Friday, Sanchez sent a letter signed by the leaders of Belgium, Ireland and Malta in which he called on European Council President Charles Michel to urgently demand a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.

“If we want the world to respect us as a consistent and relevant player, we must speak loudly and clearly with one voice. We must condemn the attacks carried out by Hamas, demand the release of the hostages and recognize Israel’s right to exist, but with equal conviction we must say enough about the death of innocent civilians, including thousands of boys and girls. State, which implies the “existence of a Palestinian state”, which coexists in peace with the State of Israel.

In the EU, only 17 of 27 countries, including Spain, have called for a humanitarian ceasefire. Eight countries refused to vote and answered in the affirmative: Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Poland and Sweden. Croatia has turned 180 degrees from “no” to “yes”. Hungary, Israel’s staunchest ally in the EU, abstained rather than rejected the resolution.

Along with Israel and the US, the countries that rejected Egypt’s proposal, supported by 22 Arab countries, were Austria, the Czech Republic, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay. That is, ten countries compared to 14 at the end of October, and 23 abstained, 22 fewer than then. Australia, Canada and Japan, allies of the United States, support the truce. Israel argues that this will only serve to encourage Hamas. In short, two-thirds of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly oppose continuing the war.

Israel has been most critical of Bolivia, South Africa, Jordan, Turkey, Chile, Colombia, Chad, Honduras and Bahrain, which withdrew their ambassadors from Israel over concerns over what they see as a lack of respect for international rule of law.

“Until now, Israel has had the EU, but they are starting to lose support because of the indiscriminate bombing they are carrying out.”

Joe Biden, US President

“Israel can rely on the US for security, and so far it has been able to rely on the EU, but they are starting to lose support because of the indiscriminate bombing that is being carried out,” Biden said. Israel claims that at least a third of those killed in the Gaza bombings are Hamas militants, but even if that were the case, the number would be 70% children and women. And almost two million internally displaced people live in inhumane conditions.

There are also voices in Israel increasingly critical of Netanyahu, such as the families of the hostages. At their last meeting less than a week ago, there were those who were upset because they felt that those still in captivity had been left out. It is clear to all of them that Hamas could end their misery if it freed them, even through war, but they fear that their relatives will die in the bombing.

In the US, a growing number of citizens, 40% according to a FT-Michigan poll, believe that Israel is being over-aided. Protests in Washington against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have broken attendance records. And this comes in a presidential election year in which Donald Trump is seeking to return to the White House. If the US takes a step back in its financial and diplomatic assistance to Israel, the blow to Netanyahu will be colossal. It is difficult for the US to go this far, but it is sending signals about the need to take advantage of technology to avoid so many civilian casualties and provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza civilians.

In any case, Israel, which experienced the events of September 11 on October 7, is determined to continue its activities until Hamas is history. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen made it very clear to Reuters: “With or without international support, we will continue. A ceasefire now would be a gift to Hamas and would allow terrorists to try to threaten Israeli citizens again.” Israel.”