With the UN Security Council deadlocked on the Israeli war, the General Assembly prepared to vote Friday on a non-binding resolution calling for a "humanitarian truce."
Israel has already rejected the draft resolution that Jordan has proposed in the name of 22 Arab countries, as the war entered its 21st day.
Jordan wants the assembly to vote at 3:00 pm (1900 GMT), calling the situation urgent, even though some 100 countries were still due to speak in a debate that began Thursday morning.
The schedule has been accepted by the rest of the 193-member assembly, which decided to act after the divided Security Council failed to agree on four draft resolutions in two weeks.
The Jordanian draft, which needs the support of two-thirds of the member states that are present and voting in order to pass calls for "an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities."
An earlier version called for an "immediate ceasefire."
The draft written by Jordan and co-sponsored by around 40 other countries centres largely on the dire humanitarian situation in sealed-off Gaza as Israel presses on with its bombardment.
The document urges "immediate" provision of water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity and unhindered access for UN and other humanitarian agencies trying to help the Palestinians.
The draft condemns "all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks.