The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a declaration outlining “tangible, time-bound, and irreversible steps” toward resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict based on the “two-state” principle, reports Baltimore Chronicle, citing Reuters.
The seven-page document resulted from an international UN conference in July, organized by Saudi Arabia and France, dedicated to the decades-long conflict. The United States and Israel boycotted the event. The resolution supporting the declaration received 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.
The vote took place ahead of the September 22 high-level UN General Assembly meeting, during which the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to officially recognize the Palestinian state.
The declaration, approved by all 193 UN General Assembly members, condemns attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza war. It also condemns Israel’s attacks on civilians and civil infrastructure in Gaza, including the blockade and starvation, which led to a devastating humanitarian crisis and protection failures.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the resolution ensured the international isolation of Hamas. “For the first time, the United Nations has adopted a text condemning it for its crimes and calling for surrender and disarmament,” he said.
The resolution was supported by all Arab Gulf states. Those voting against included Israel and the United States, as well as Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.
The declaration emphasizes that the Gaza war “must end immediately” and expresses support for deploying a temporary international stabilization mission authorized by the UN Security Council. The United States described the vote as “another false and untimely publicity stunt” undermining serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Israel, which has long criticized the UN for failing to name Hamas for the October 7 attacks, rejected the declaration as one-sided and described the vote as “theater.”
The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France issued a joint statement regarding Israel’s strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar’s capital, Doha. The Israeli army struck Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9. According to media reports, the casualties included Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.
The White House stated that President Donald Trump expressed concern after the strike but called the elimination of Hamas leaders a “legitimate target.” The strike followed Trump’s “final warning” to Hamas, urging the group to agree to a deal for the release of hostages from Gaza.
Earlier we wrote that Zelensky meets Keith Kellogg in Kyiv: weapons, sanctions, and UN General Assembly preparations.
