Finland was one of 45 countries to abstain when the United Nations General Assembly called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza late Friday.
The resolution called for an immediate truce between Israel and Palestinian militants and demanded aid access to the besieged Gaza Strip and protection of civilians.
The resolution, drafted by Arab states, passed overwhelmingly. While it is not binding, it carries political weight.
The resolution passed with 120 votes in favour, 45 abstentions and 14 ‘no’ votes from members including Israel and the United States.
European countries were split, with France and Norway voting yes, Austria voting no and Germany, Britain and Italy joining Finland in abstaining, for instance.
The General Assembly voted after the Security Council failed four times in the past two weeks to take action. A two-thirds majority was needed for the resolution to pass, in which abstentions did not count.
Orpo: Vote consistent with Finland's policies
According to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), Finland's decision to abstain in the UN vote was consistent with its policies. Orpo said that Finland has condemned the attacks by Hamas and stressed that Israel has the right to defend itself.
"Hamas was not even mentioned in this resolution, and that is why we abstained from voting. At the EU summit yesterday, the EU countries approved a clear statement that was in line with Finland's position," he said on Saturday.
"However, this is leading to a very difficult humanitarian situation. Now it should be clear as day that humanitarian aid needs to get to Gaza. There are Palestinian people there who have nothing to do with Hamas. They need to be helped. A humanitarian disaster must be avoided," Orpo told reporters.
The PM commented on the situation during a National Coalition Party meeting in Otaniemi, Espoo, at which the party formally named former PM Alexander Stubb as its presidential candidate. Stubb plans an official campaign launch in November.
On Friday Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) dismissed calls to suspend a pending arms deal with Israel.
Valtonen calls for humanitarian corridors
Earlier on Saturday, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) had a similar message when she commented on Finland's vote in a social media post. According to Valtonen, Finland would have voted in favour of the resolution if it had condemned the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas.
According to Valtonen, Finland's position on the matter is clear: the catastrophic situation in Gaza must be urgently addressed, for example through humanitarian corridors.
Meanwhile the situation in Gaza worsened overnight, with Israel saying it had attacked more than 150 targets in northern Gaza. Telecommunication connections to Gaza have been cut, making it even more difficult to get information from the area.
Israel's military has said it cannot guarantee the safety of journalists working in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli bombardment and siege for almost three weeks.
15.26 and 18.07: Added details including Stubb's confirmation.
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