UN General Assembly calls for Israel to end 'unlawful presence' in occupied Palestinian territories

The UN General Assembly adopted a Palestinian draft resolution on Wednesday that calls on Israel to end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year.

A total of 124 countries voted in favour, while 14, including the US, opposed the resolution. Britain, Switzerland, Ukraine, India and Germany were among the 43 countries to abstain.

The resolution demands sanctions and an arms embargo against Israel, as well as the return of “the land and other immovable property, as well as all assets seized from any natural or legal person since its occupation started in 1967, and all cultural property and assets taken from Palestinians and Palestinian institutions”.

The measure is grounded in an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which on July 19 ruled that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and should be brought to an end “as rapidly as possible”.

The ICJ's ruling, however, is non-binding.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon responded to the outcome of the vote by stating: “This is 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,” he said.

After the resolution’s adoption, Riyad Mansour, Palestine's UN ambassador said the resolution marked a turning point "in our struggle for freedom and justice".

"It sends a clear message that Israel’s occupation must end as soon as possible, and that the Palestinian people’ right to self-determination must be realised,” he added.

Mr Mansour who opened the assembly meeting on Tuesday, said that no occupying power can have a veto right over the inalienable rights of the people under its occupation.

“Those who think the Palestinian people will accept a life of servitude, a life of apartheid, are the ones who are not being realistic,” Mr Mansour said. “The solution is right before our eyes … It is an independent and sovereign state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side, in peace and security with Israel.”

The measure also calls for Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians “for the damage caused to all the natural and legal persons concerned in the occupied Palestinian territory”.

Washington's UN envoy, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the adoption of a one-sided resolution that “selectively” interprets the substance of the ICJ’s opinion “does not advance what we all want to see, and that is progress towards two states, living in peace, side by side”.

“This proposed resolution advances the flawed – and indeed, false – idea that adopting a text here in New York can somehow resolve what is easily one of the most complex and persistent diplomatic challenges of our time,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said.

The United Kingdom abstained from the vote, stating that its decision was not due to a lack of support for the central findings of the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion.

"Rather because the resolution does not provide sufficient clarity to effectively advance "our shared aim of a peace" premised on a negotiated two state solution, a safe and secure Israel alongside a safe and secure Palestinian State as a state committed to the international rule of law," said Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador to the UN.

Unlike in the Security Council, no country in the General Assembly has veto power.