The United Nations General Assembly will adopt on Wednesday a resolution drafted by the Palestinian Authority demanding Israel to end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within 12 months.
This measure would isolate Israel just days before world leaders gather in New York for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at the General Assembly, which consists of 193 members, on September 26, the same day that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the assembly.
The resolution aims to endorse the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July, which stated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands and territories is illegal and that Israel should withdraw from them. While the advisory opinion from the UN’s highest court indicated that this withdrawal should occur “as soon as possible,” the resolution specifies a 12-month timeline for implementation.
This resolution is the first formally submitted by the Palestinian Authority since it gained additional rights and privileges this month, including a seat among the members of the United Nations General Assembly and the right to propose resolution drafts.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, urged member states to vote “no” on Wednesday. Washington, a long-standing ally of Israel, has historically opposed unilateral actions that it says undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.
Although the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice is not binding, it carries significant weight under international law and could weaken support for Israel. Similarly, the General Assembly resolution, while not binding, holds significant political weight. There is no veto option in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, told the General Assembly on Tuesday, “Every country has a voice, and the world is watching us… I hope you will stand on the right side of history. With international law. With freedom. With peace.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, criticized the General Assembly on Tuesday, accusing it of failing to condemn the October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) fighters on Israel, which sparked the Israeli military campaign in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Danon rejected the Palestinian resolution, stating, “Let’s call this what it is, this resolution is diplomatic terrorism, as it uses the tools of diplomacy not to build bridges but to destroy them.”
Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war and has since been building and expanding settlements in the West Bank.
The war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, 2023, when gunmen from Hamas stormed Israeli towns, in an attack that Israel says resulted in about 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages.
Since then, the Israeli military has destroyed large areas of the Palestinian sector, causing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents to be displaced and leading to widespread hunger and disease that have claimed lives, killing more than 41,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
On October 27, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. Then, in December, 153 countries voted in favor of calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire instead of just calling for it.
The resolution requires a two-thirds majority of those present and voting—with abstentions not counted—for adoption on Wednesday. Mansour told reporters on Monday that he expects the resolution to be adopted, but it is likely to receive less support compared to last year’s resolutions.
The Palestinian Authority represents the Palestinian people at the United Nations as a non-member observer state, known as the State of Palestine.
