The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution urging Israel to terminate its occupation of Palestinian territories within one year. The nonbinding resolution was passed with a vote of 124 in favor and 14 against, while 43 countries, including India, abstained.
The resolution aligns with an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which deemed Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories unlawful. The vote took place during the 10th Emergency Special Session focused on “Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Key provisions of the resolution call for Israel to comply with international law by withdrawing its military forces, halting all new settlement activities, evacuating settlers from occupied lands, and dismantling parts of the separation wall built within the occupied West Bank.
Notably, while the United States opposed the resolution, countries such as France, Finland, and Mexico supported it. The United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Canada chose to abstain.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, echoed the sentiment of a two-state solution achieved through direct negotiations, reflecting a position similar to that of the U.S.
The resolution also demands Israel return land and immovable property seized since the occupation began in 1967, along with cultural assets taken from Palestinians. Furthermore, it calls on nations to stop importing goods from Israeli settlements and to refrain from transferring arms to Israel when there are concerns they may be used in the occupied territories.
This resolution reinforces the international community’s stance in support of Palestine.
