The U.N. General Assembly supported a Palestinian-drafted resolution on Wednesday demanding Israel cease its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza . The resolution calls for Israeli military forces to withdraw from "occupied Palestinian territories" and for all Israeli settlers to evacuate.
The vote in the United Nations’s 193-member assembly was 124-14, with 43 abstentions. It came as the one-year anniversary of Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, 2023, creeps closer and violence in the region continues.
The United States voted against the resolution, with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield saying before the vote that it doesn’t recognize Hamas's influence in Gaza or that Israel has a right to defend itself.
“In our view, the resolution does not bring about tangible benefits across the board for the Palestinian people,” she said. “I think it would complicate the situation on the ground, complicate what we’re trying to do to end the conflict, and I think it impedes reinvigorating steps toward a two-state solution.”
The draft presented a two-state solution with former Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, reinstated with its 1967 borders. It calls for Israel to pay reparations for damages seen in Gaza, as well as for countries to prevent trade or investments that encourage Israel’s presence in Palestinian territories to continue.
The resolution also requests that sanctions be imposed on countries responsible for continuing Israel’s presence in Gaza and that arms exports to Israel be halted if they're suspected of being used in Palestinian territories.
The resolution's support is not legally binding but rather meant to highlight the opinion of the world's countries.
Ceasefire and hostage negotiations have stalled recently. President Joe Biden proposed a three-pronged plan in May, and although both sides have shown optimism to talks at different points, ultimately, neither side has caved on the hardline points.
The central challenges to reaching a deal are Israel’s occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor, which Hamas objects to, and the demand that Israel must agree to a permanent ceasefire.
“Until such a ceasefire is reached — we continue to work hard toward that end — it is vital that Israel cooperate with the U.N. to improve humanitarian access and humanitarian conditions generally,” Thomas-Greenfield said at a General Assembly emergency special session on Sept. 17.
Mediators have made multiple ceasefire deals since the conflict began, with Israel rejecting deals on Jan. 21 and May 6 , Hamas rejecting one on June 11 , and Israel refusing to remove their additions to a deal Hamas initially accepted on July 2 .
The Biden administration has repeatedly run into roadblocks , and officials said they are unsure if Hamas is really interested in a deal. International representatives have accused the U.S. of not pushing Israel hard enough during negotiations.
Both the Palestinian Authority’s representatives and Israel’s U.N. ambassadors addressed the assembly prior to the resolutions vote.
“Each country has a vote, and the world is watching us,” Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour said to the assembly. “Please stand on the right side of history — with international law, with freedom, with peace.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon called for the assembly to reject the resolution, claiming the draft was “an attempt to destroy Israel through diplomatic terrorism.”
“Instead of a resolution condemning the rape and massacre committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, we gather here to watch the Palestinians’ U.N. circus — a circus where evil is righteous, war is peace, murder is justified, and terror is applauded,” Danon said.
Local News
