UN General Assembly votes in support of Hamas-free Palestinian state
UK among 142 states to back two-state plan
The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to endorse a declaration outlining “irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, without the involvement of Hamas.
Friday’s 142-10 vote in favour of the non-binding resolution on the New York Declaration, crafted by France and Saudi Arabia in July, and backed by the UK, also calls on Hamas to release all hostages and condemns the terror group’s October 7 onslaught.
It includes sharp criticism of Hamas.
The declaration, which was endorsed by the Arab League and co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries, also goes further than condemning Hamas, seeking to fully excise the terror group from leadership 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 reads.
It also mentions the deployment of a “temporary international stabilisation mission” under a mandate from the UN security council to protect the population, support the strengthening of the capacities of the Palestinian state and provide “security guarantees to Palestine and Israel”.
The vote comes ahead of the UN summit co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris on September 22 in New York, in which French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to formally recognise the Palestinian state.
The UK is expected to follow, unless Israel agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and other conditions. Israel has called planned recognition of a Palestinian state a “prize for terror.”
Joining Israel and the United States in opposing Friday’s resolution were Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga. Twelve countries abstained.
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.”
Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, said the resolution was not a serious attempt at peacemaking. “This is not diplomacy, this is theatre, a carefully staged performance for headlines and not peace.”