The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution deploring the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and calling for its immediate withdrawal from the area.

The resolution was approved by a vote of 156 to 7 with six abstentions. The 25-member European Union joined the Arabs states in voting positively after a last-minute effort to soften the tone of the text, while the United States, Israel and Australia were among those who voted against.

The emergency special session, convened at the request of Arab delegations and the Non-Aligned Movement, followed a U.S. veto on Nov. 11 of an Arab-sponsored draft resolution that would have condemned the deadly Israeli attack in Gaza and urged an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from there.

The General Assembly resolution "deeply deplored" the Israeli offensive, particularly the deadly attack on Palestinian homes in Beit Hanoun, and called on Israel to immediately halt its operation and pull its troops out of the Gaza Strip.

The resolution also asked the UN secretary-general to set up a UN probe into the Beit Hanoun incident in which 19 Palestinians were killed, including many children and women, on Nov. 8.

Source: Xinhua