UN expects 'member states to abide by all resolutions'

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Thursday affirmed that it expects "member states to abide by all resolutions, including General Assembly resolutions."

Citing a recently adopted resolution at the General Assembly that urged Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories within a year, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that "the resolution requires the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) to report back on its implementation --- he will do so."

Dujarric emphasized that Guterres "takes very seriously the decisions of the International Court of Justice."

Saying that the UN chief will do what the resolutions requests of him, Dujarric said Guterres "encourages member states to respect the resolutions that are passed."

Medical evacuations from Gaza

Dujarric said the list of patients needing evacuation in Gaza is growing daily, with 14,000 requests since October 2023. So far, only 5,000 have been evacuated.

He noted that 219 patients have been evacuated since Israel closed the Rafah border crossing in May.