The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution put forward by Palestinians and based on the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which demands that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence” in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory“ within 12 months, including all soldiers and civilians.
The resolution calls for Israel to comply with international law and withdraw its military forces, immediately cease all new settlement activity, evacuate all settlers from occupied land, and dismantle parts of the separation wall it constructed inside the occupied West Bank, further demanding that Israel return land and other “immovable property”, as well as all assets seized since the occupation began in 1967, and all cultural property and assets taken from Palestinians and Palestinian institutions.
The resolution also calls on member states not to sell arms or military equipment to Israel that would be used in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem. It calls for a boycott of all Israeli products produced over the pre-1967 lines.
The resolution is the first to be formally put forward by the Palestinian Authority since it gained additional rights and privileges this month, including a seat among UN members in the assembly hall and the right to propose draft resolutions, and is based on the July ruling by the International Court of Justice, which set out that Israel’s control of Palestinian territories and settlements is illegal and should be withdrawn.
The resolution was sponsored by the “State of Palestine” and 29 other countries, mostly Muslim nations. Some 124 countries supported the measure, 14 opposed it, and 43 abstained. Israel, the US, Czechia, and Argentina were the largest countries opposing, along with Pacific island nations. Paraguay and Malawi also opposed the measure. Many European nations abstained, including Ukraine, the UK, Germany, and Italy, as did Canada and Australia, however, Hungary opposed the measure, along with Czechia.
The resolution has declaratory power only but provides international backing to those countries that want to take additional steps against Israel.
Israel charged that the resolution ignores the October 7 terror attack, when Palestinian terror group Hamas killed 1,200 innocent people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people who were taken as hostages to Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the resolution was “disconnected from reality, encourages terrorism, and harms the chances for peace” by ignoring Israel’s real security concerns, particularly in the aftermath of the Hamas October 7 attack. This resolution “is what being disconnected looks like; this is what cynical international politics looks like,” adding that it strengthens Hamas and “the Iranian terrorist state that stands behind it,” arguing that it will „embolden an already RADICALIZED Palestinian Authority.”
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon posted on X: “ This is a shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism. Instead of marking the anniversary of the October 7 massacre by condemning Hamas and calling for the release of all 101 of the remaining hostages, the General Assembly continues to dance to the music of the Palestinian Authority, which backs the Hamas murderers.”
The UN resolution came days before world leaders travel to New York for their annual UN gathering. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the 193-member General Assembly on September 26, the same day that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will also do so.
sources: The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, UN News, X
photo credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider
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