In a decisive display of international consensus, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted two significant resolutions addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the status of Syrian territory. The December 2nd vote saw overwhelming support for measures demanding Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories and Syria’s Golan Heights.
The first resolution, titled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,” received 151 votes in favor with only 11 opposed (including Israel and the United States) and 11 abstentions. This comprehensive document called for Israel’s immediate compliance with international law obligations, including terminating its unlawful presence in occupied territories, ceasing all settlement activities, and evacuating all settlers. The resolution further rejected any demographic or territorial changes in Gaza while emphasizing the urgent need to unify the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under Palestinian Authority governance.
A second resolution addressing “The Syrian Golan” declared Israel’s 1981 annexation of the territory “null and void” and demanded its rescission. This measure passed with 123 supporting votes against 7 rejections and 41 abstentions.
UNGA President Annalena Baerbock addressed the plenary meeting, urging decisive action to break the decades-long stalemate between Israel and Palestine. “For 78 years the Palestinian people have been denied their inalienable rights,” Baerbock stated, emphasizing that the conflict “cannot be resolved through illegal occupation, de jure or de facto annexation, forced displacement, recurrent terror or permanent war.” She reiterated that lasting peace would only be achieved through a two-state solution with mutually recognized borders.
The Palestinian Presidency hailed the vote as “a victory for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” and a reflection of international consensus on establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Conversely, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon dismissed the resolutions as demonstrating how “disconnected” the UN is from reality, asserting that Israel “will not return to the 1967 lines and will not abandon the Golan. Not now, not ever.”
Meanwhile, regional diplomatic efforts continue, with Egypt consulting with the US regarding an international conference for Gaza reconstruction, and Qatar maintaining intensive mediation efforts to ensure the current ceasefire holds.