By UNITED NATIONS (Sept 13, AfrikTimes) – The U.N. General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed a declaration committing to “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, ahead of a high-level summit later this month.
The seven-page text emerged from a July conference at the U.N. co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, which the United States and Israel boycotted. The resolution backing the declaration passed with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.
The vote comes ahead of a September 22 gathering of world leaders on the sidelines of the General Assembly, where Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Members of the United Nations General Assembly vote on the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 12, 2025.
The declaration condemns the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, as well as Israeli strikes on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, including siege and starvation tactics that have fueled a humanitarian crisis.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the resolution marked the international isolation of Hamas. “For the first time today, the United Nations adopted a text condemning it for its crimes and calling for its surrender and disarmament,” he posted on X.
Israel and the United States voted against the measure, joined by Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga. Gulf Arab states backed the resolution.
The text declares the Gaza war “must end now” and calls for a temporary international stabilization mission under a U.N. Security Council mandate.
Riyad H. Mansour, Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations, speaks with delegates after the United Nations General Assembly vote on the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, at U.N. headquarters in New York City
Washington dismissed the move as “yet another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt,” with U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus saying the resolution “emboldened Hamas” and harmed peace prospects. Israel’s U.N. envoy Danny Danon called the vote “theater,” adding: “The only beneficiary is Hamas … When terrorists are the ones cheering, you are not advancing peace; you are advancing terror.”
The October 7 Hamas assault killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, with around 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. More than 64,000 people, also largely civilians, have since been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
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