UN General Assembly calls on Israel to end occupation

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a non-binding resolution demanding that Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months. The vote, which comes after a year of escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank, has intensified the already sharp diplomatic rift between Israel and Palestine.

Out of the 193 UN member states, 124 voted in favor of the resolution, with 14, including Israel, opposed and 43 abstentions. Although the resolution is non-binding, its adoption reflects a strong global sentiment. The Palestinian ambassador hailed the decision as a turning point, saying it marked “a turning point in our struggle for freedom and justice.” In contrast, Israel’s representative condemned it as “diplomatic terrorism.”

The resolution is rooted in a July advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which deemed Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza illegal under international law. The ICJ had ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied territories “is unlawful” and called for the evacuation of settlers and reparations for the damages caused.

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With the resolution demanding an end to Israel’s presence in the territories “without delay,” Palestinian leadership celebrated it as a “pivotal and historic moment,” reflecting what they view as a global consensus against the occupation. “The support of nearly two-thirds of UN member states reaffirms the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination,” said the Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry.

However, Israel’s government dismissed the resolution as disconnected from reality. “This is a distorted decision that encourages terrorism and harms the chances for peace,” Israel’s foreign ministry stated, warning that it “bolsters and strengthens the Hamas terrorist organization” by suggesting that “terrorism pays off and yields international resolutions.”

The debate comes amid the backdrop of one of the deadliest periods in the region in years. Since October 7, when Hamas gunmen launched a deadly attack on Israel, around 41,110 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry statistics. In addition, violence in the West Bank has surged, with more than 680 Palestinians and 22 Israelis reported dead.

The United States, which voted against the resolution, called it unbalanced. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that the resolution offered no concrete path to peace. “There is no path forward or hope offered through this resolution today. Its adoption will not save Palestinian lives, bring the hostages home, end Israeli settlements, or reinvigorate the peace process,” she said.

While many countries continue to push for a two-state solution, this latest diplomatic clash at the UN highlights the deep-seated challenges that persist in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.