India, June 13 -- Meeting in emergency session on Thursday in New York, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

The move followed the Security Council's failure to pass a similar resolution last week due to a lone veto by permanent member the United States.

The resolution was backed by 149 Member States, with 12 voting against and 19 abstaining. Among those opposing the resolution were the United States and Israel, who were joined among others by Argentina, Hungary and Paraguay.

India, Georgia, Ecuador, Romania and Ethiopia were among the countries abstaining.

Brought forward by over 20 countries, it strongly condemns the use of starvation as a we...