A Canadian-led effort to formally condemn Hamas for the "deliberate cruelty" of its deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel went down to defeat Friday as the United Nations instead endorsed a call for a humanitarian pause in hostilities.

[T]he resolution [for a pause in hostilities], introduced by the UN's 22-nation Arab coalition, made no mention of Hamas, the attacks or the tactics employed by a group that has long been considered a terrorist organization by Canada and the U.S., among others.

Bob Rae, Canada's permanent UN envoy, sought to rectify that with an amendment that "unequivocally rejects and condemns" the attacks while demanding the "immediate and unconditional" safe release of all hostages.

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In the end, the amendment failed, unable to garner the required two-thirds majority of votes in the General Assembly. The vote saw 88 members in favour, and 55 against, with 23 abstentions. Canada was among the 45 nations that abstained from the final vote after the amendment failed to pass.