The UN General Assembly adopted a declaration that provides for the creation of a Palestinian state, but without the participation of the terrorist group Hamas in its leadership.
142 countries voted for the resolution. The document enshrines the New York Declaration, which, among other things, calls on Hamas to release all hostages and condemns the group’s attack on Israel on October 7.
Israel, the USA, as well as Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga spoke against it. Another twelve states abstained from voting.
The General Assembly resolution 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.
The New York declaration, supported by the League of Arab States and signed in July by 17 UN member states, including a number of Arab states, has a broader meaning than just condemning Hamas. Its goal is the complete removal of the group from the administration of the Gaza Strip.
“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 participation and support, in accordance with the goal of creating a sovereign and independent Palestinian state”, the declaration reads.
This vote took place on the eve of the upcoming UN summit, which will be held on September 22 in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. At it, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to officially recognize the Palestinian state. Several other countries have expressed similar intentions.
