Only talk and no action: How UN resolutions failed to protect the Palestinian people

United Nations (UN) General Assembly is likely to vote on 12 December on a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas fighters in Palestine's Gaza Strip.

It comes after the US vetoed a UN Security Council demand for immediate humanitarian ceasefire a few days back. The resolution drafted by Arab states is not binding but carries political weight, taking the global temperature as Israel steps up ground operations in Gaza.

However, this resolution would be just another one in a list of many by the UN that has repeatedly failed to protect the Palestinians. 

In 1947 the UN General Assembly passed resolution 181, which recommended the partitioning of the Mandatory Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, and international status for Jerusalem, has held the fate of Palestine and its citizens in limbo. 

The UN Charter states that the Security Council has the responsibility to "maintain or restore international peace and security." 

The General Assembly, however, pursuant to Article 10 of Charter, has a broad power to "discuss any questions or any matters within the scope" of the Charter, and to make recommendations "on any such questions or matters."

UN General Assembly likely to vote Tuesday on Gaza ceasefire demand: diplomats

However, despite hundreds of resolutions regarding Palestine's statehood and condemning Israel's actions against them, very little progress was ever made.

In general the resolutions regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict have fallen into four broad categories.

UN Resolution 194, adopted in 1948, affirmed the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, from which they were displaced during the 1948 war. 

This right has not been implemented and remains a major source of contention and resentment among Palestinians.

UN resolutions have called for the internationalisation of Jerusalem and a negotiated settlement to its status. 

But Israel has unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem and declared the entire city its capital, defying international consensus.

UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, declared Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories to be "a flagrant violation under international law." 

Despite this resolution, Israel has continued to expand and build settlements, further fragmenting the Palestinian territories and creating obstacles to a two-state solution.

UN resolutions have affirmed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. 

Yet Israeli occupation and policies have made it difficult for Palestinians to exercise this right.

Israel's disregard for the UN and its resolutions is a known pattern, and they remain especially defiant against the many claims of their human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

The General Assembly approved 15 anti-Israel resolutions last year, versus 13 resolutions criticising other countries, according to a tally by the pro-Israel monitoring group UN Watch.

Since 2015, the General Assembly has adopted 140 resolutions criticising Israel, mainly over its treatment of the Palestinians, its relationships with neighbouring countries and other alleged wrongdoings. 

Over the same period, it has passed 68 resolutions against all other countries, UN Watch said.

While the UN resolutions have played an important role in documenting Palestinian rights and upholding international law, their impact on the lives of Palestinians has been limited. 

With Israel ignoring or outright defying the resolutions, and facing little international pressure with the US continually backing them, there is likely little hope of a peaceful conclusion to this story.

Unsurprisingly this has led to feelings of frustration and disillusionment amongst Palestinians who have suffered while the world releases toothless statements that change nothing.

Despite these limitations, UN resolutions remain vital for the Palestinian people, as they provide a legal framework for their claims and help to keep the issue of Palestine on the international agenda.

While the UN resolutions are supposed to stand as bastions of hope, amid the tumult of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, its purported guardianship appears to be a lattice - with gaping loopholes. 

UN Security Council's proclivity towards Israel has cast a shadow of doubt upon its ability to render impartiality in addressing the plight of the Palestinian people. 

The recurring cycles of violence, displacement, and unyielding strife have underscored the apparent faltering steps of these resolutions, raising poignant questions about their efficacy in shielding the vulnerable and embattled populace of Palestine.