UNGA endorses declaration on Israel-Palestine two-state solution
Us and Israel boycott as resolution passes with 142 votes in favour
NEW YORK: The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Friday to endorse a declaration calling for “tangible, time bound and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.
The seven-page declaration, backed by 142 nations, was the outcome of a high-level international conference held in July and co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France. The United States and Israel boycotted the conference, and both nations voted against the resolution, along with eight other countries. Twelve nations abstained.
The declaration not only advocates an immediate end to the ongoing Gaza war but also supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under the mandate of the UN Security Council.
The resolution explicitly condemns both the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 taken hostage, and Israel’s subsequent military operations in Gaza, which local health authorities say have killed over 64,000 people, most of them civilians.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called the vote a diplomatic milestone, saying it marked the international community’s unified stance against Hamas, which the UN has condemned “for its crimes” for the first time. “This resolution isolates Hamas and calls for its surrender and disarmament,” he posted on X.
Despite broad support, Israel and the United States strongly criticized the resolution. “This resolution is a gift to Hamas,” said US diplomat Morgan Ortagus, labeling the vote a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt.” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon echoed the sentiment, calling the vote “theater” and accusing the UN of empowering terrorism.
The vote precedes a crucial September 22 meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly where several Western nations — including Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium — are expected to formally recognize the State of Palestine.
