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Arab-Israeli conflicts

UN Member States Demand End to Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories within 12 Months

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

UN member states voted Wednesday to demand an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months, with 124 votes in favor, 14 against, and 43 abstentions. The non-binding resolution is based on an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the occupation since 1967 is "unlawful." The Palestinian delegation hailed the adoption as "historic," while Israel firmly rejected the resolution, calling it "cynical" and "distorted."

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN General Assembly voted 124-14-43 to demand an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months, with the Palestinian delegation describing the adoption as "historic."
  • The resolution is based on an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the occupation since 1967 is "unlawful" and demands Israel "brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
  • The resolution calls for a withdrawal "no later than 12 months" from the resolution's adoption, which is a significant increase from a previous draft that gave six months.
  • The resolution also demands a halt to new settlements, the return of seized land and property, and the possibility of return for displaced Palestinians.
  • The United States, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and several smaller island nations voted against the resolution, while several countries abstained.
  • The resolution comes weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel, which unleashed a devastating and ongoing retaliatory war in Gaza.
  • The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, stated that "The idea is you want to use the pressure of the international community in the General Assembly and the pressure of the historic ruling by the ICJ to force Israel to change its behavior."
  • Hamas welcomed the adoption, saying it reflected "the international community's solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle."

Statistics:

  • 124: The number of UN member states that voted in favor of the resolution.
  • 14: The number of UN member states that voted against the resolution.
  • 43: The number of UN member states that abstained from voting on the resolution.
  • 12: The number of months given for Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories.
  • 1967: The year since which the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel is considered "unlawful" by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
  • 143: The number of UN member states that voted in favor of a previous resolution supporting full Palestinian membership at the UN in May.
  • 9: The number of UN member states that voted against the resolution supporting full Palestinian membership at the UN in May.
  • 25: The number of UN member states that abstained from voting on the resolution supporting full Palestinian membership at the UN in May.
  • 1,205: The number of people killed on the Israeli side in the Hamas attack on October 7.
  • 97: The number of people taken hostage that day who are still being held inside the Gaza Strip.
  • 41,272: The number of Palestinians, a majority of whom are civilians, killed in Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip since the war began.

Sources:

  • BSS (Bangladesh News Agency) - "UN Member States Demand End to Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories within 12 Months"
  • AFP - "UN General Assembly adopts non-binding resolution demanding Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories"
  • Al Jazeera - "UN votes to demand end of Israeli occupation within 12 months"

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