UN member states voted overwhelmingly to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held by "Hamas" and unrestricted access to deliver desperately needed food to 2 million Palestinians, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The vote in the 193-member General Assembly was 149-12 with 19 abstentions. It was adopted with thunderous applause.
The resolution, drafted by Spain, "strongly condemns any use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare".
Before the vote, Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon spoke out strongly against the resolution. He denied Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war, calling the accusation a "slander" and insisting that aid was being delivered.
Experts and human rights activists say hunger is widespread in Gaza and that some 2 million Palestinians are at risk of starvation unless Israel fully lifts its blockade and halts its military campaign, which it resumed in March after ending a truce with Hamas.
At the start of Thursday's session, Spain's UN Ambassador Hector Jose Gomez Hernandez urged members to vote in favor of the resolution, citing the "catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza."
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour also asked UN members to vote "yes."
"The actions you take today to stop the killing, the displacement and the starvation will determine "How many more Palestinian children will die a horrible death?" he said.
Last week, the UN Security Council failed to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to lift all restrictions on aid deliveries. The United States vetoed the resolution because it was not related to the release of the hostages, while all 14 other council members voted in favor.
There is no veto in the 193-member UN General Assembly. But unlike the Security Council, the assembly's resolutions are not legally binding, although they are seen as a barometer of world opinion.