adminNEW YORK. — The UN General Assembly yesterday strongly supported a non-binding Palestinian resolution demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year.
Israel was also ordered to pay reparations to Palestine following years of occupation and displacement of Palestinians from their territories.
The vote in the 193-member world body was 124-14, with 43 abstentions.
Israel’s UN Ambassador, Mr Danny Danon, called it “a shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism.”
“Instead of marking the anniversary of the October 7 massacre by condemning Hamas and calling for the release of all 101 of the remaining hostages, the General Assembly continues to dance to the music of the Palestinian Authority, which backs the Hamas murderers,” Mr Danon said.
The resolution comes as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza approaches its first anniversary and as violence in the West Bank reaches new highs.
The war was triggered by Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Since then, Israel has been attacking and killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The UN resolution, which also demands the withdrawal of all Israeli forces and the evacuation of settlers from the occupied Palestinian territories “without delay,” is not legally binding, but the extent of its support reflects world opinion.
There are no vetoes in the General Assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council.
It comes in response to a ruling by the top United Nations court in July that said Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.
Mr Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN Ambassador, stressed that any country that thinks the Palestinian people “will accept a life of servitude” or that claims peace is possible without a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “not being realistic”.
The solution remains an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side in peace and security with Israel, he said.
US Ambassador to the UN Ms Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters that the resolution has “a significant number of flaws,” saying it goes beyond the ICJ ruling.
“In our view, the resolution does not bring about tangible benefits across the board for the Palestinian people,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.
The resolution calls for Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians for the damage caused by its occupation and urges countries to take steps to prevent trade or investments that maintain Israel’s presence in the territories. — AP.
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