NEW YORK CITY (Kashmir English): The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday voted to back the “New York Declaration,” a resolution which advocates for the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine — without the involvement of Hamas.
The Declaration text was adopted by 142 votes in favour, 10 against — including Israel and the United States — and 12 abstentions. The Declaration rebuked Hamas and demanded that it surrender its weapons.
Although Israel has criticised UN bodies for around two years over their failure to rebuke Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, the declaration, presented by Saudi Arabia and France, leaves no ambiguity.
Formally called the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the text states that “Hamas must free all hostages” and that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on October 7”.
It also calls for “collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution”.
The declaration was already endorsed by the Arab League and co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries. It also went beyond than only rebuking Hamas, seeking to fully excise it from a role in Gaza.
“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the declaration stated.
Macron to formally recognise Palestinian state
The vote comes just ahead of the upcoming UN summit co-chaired by Paris and Riyadh on September 22 in New York, in which French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to formally recognise the Palestinian state.
“The fact that the General Assembly is finally backing a text that condemns Hamas directly is significant” even if “Israelis will say it is far too little, far too late”, Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, said.
“Now at least states supporting the Palestinians can rebuff Israeli accusations that they implicitly condone Hamas,” he said, adding that it “offers a shield against Israeli criticism”.
In addition to France, several other leaders have announced their intent to formally recognise the Palestinian state during the UN summit.
The gestures are being seen as a means of increasing pressure on Israel to end the fighting in Gaza.
The New York Declaration includes discussion of a “deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission” to the battered region under the mandate of the UN Security Council, aiming to support the Palestinian civilian population and facilitate security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.
Around 75 percent of the 193 UN member states recognise the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.
