The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories within a year. The resolution, hailed as “historic” by Palestine, was adopted by a 124-12 vote, with 43 countries abstaining. It demands that Israel end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory without delay, and make reparations for damages caused by the occupation. This vote underscores the widespread international opposition to Israel’s occupation, as the UNGA includes all sovereign nations worldwide and is tasked with promoting respect for human rights.

The resolution also supports an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which found Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land to be unlawful and called for its immediate end. The vote took place amidst Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, where over 41,250 Palestinians have been killed. The ICJ has previously ordered Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza and allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the area. Despite this, the United States, along with Israel and a few other countries, opposed the resolution. At the same time, nations like France, Finland, and Mexico voted in favour, and others such as the UK and Canada abstained.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution, hoping the international community would take stronger steps to pressure Israel to comply. He noted that the resolution renews the hope of the Palestinian people, who continue to face aggression and genocide in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. While most countries recognise the occupation as illegal, the U.S. insists that Israelis and Palestinians should resolve their issues through negotiations rather than external influence, a position that many criticize as inconsistent with U.S. policies in other conflicts.