The United Nations (UN) has adopted a resolution, drafted by Palestine, calling for Israel to end “its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months.
This resolution received 124 votes in favor, while 43 countries abstained. Israel, the United States, and 12 other nations opposed the measure.
The decision isolates Israel just before global leaders gather in New York for the annual U.N. summit, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are both scheduled to speak on September 26.
The resolution references a July advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which deemed Israel’s occupation and settlements in Palestinian territories illegal and called for their immediate withdrawal. While the ICJ’s opinion is non-binding, it carries significant legal weight, and the U.N. resolution imposes a specific 12-month deadline for Israel to act.
Additionally, the resolution urges countries to halt the import of products from Israeli settlements and suspend the transfer of arms to Israel if there is evidence they might be used in the occupied territories. This is the first resolution formally proposed by the Palestinian Authority since it gained enhanced rights at the U.N., including the ability to propose draft resolutions.
The U.S. strongly opposed the resolution, with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urging countries to vote against it. The U.S. views such measures as detrimental to the prospect of a two-state solution. Although General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political influence, and there is no veto power in this forum.
Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour urged nations to vote on the “right side of history,” calling for support based on international law and peace. Conversely, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon condemned the resolution, labeling it “diplomatic terrorism.” Danon criticized the U.N.’s failure to condemn the October 7 attack by Hamas militants, which escalated violence in Gaza, leading to thousands of deaths and widespread destruction.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and has since expanded its settlements in the West Bank. The recent conflict began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas assault, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 hostages taken. Since then, Israeli airstrikes have devastated Gaza, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 41,000 deaths reported by Palestinian health authorities.
The Palestinian Authority, representing the Palestinian people at the U.N., holds the status of a non-member observer state, recognized as the State of Palestine.