UN General Assembly Endorses Landmark Declaration on Two-State Solution

United Nations, New York: The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly approved a declaration calling for “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward achieving a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, ahead of a major gathering of world leaders later this month.

The seven-page declaration stems from an international conference convened at the UN in July, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France. Both the United States and Israel boycotted the event.

The resolution endorsing the declaration was adopted with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. The vote comes just days before a high-level UNGA session on September 22, where Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

The declaration strongly condemns the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli figures. It also denounces Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, citing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the siege and blockade that have contributed to what the resolution calls a “devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the vote, saying it marked the first time the United Nations explicitly condemned Hamas for its crimes and called for its disarmament. “The resolution secures the international isolation of Hamas,” Barrot wrote on X.

Support for the resolution was broad, encompassing all Gulf Arab states. Opposing votes came from the United States, Israel, and a handful of other nations, including Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.

The text further declares that the war in Gaza “must end now” and calls for the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under a UN Security Council mandate.

However, both Washington and Jerusalem dismissed the declaration. U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus described the move as “yet another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt,” arguing that it undermined serious diplomatic efforts and effectively “emboldened Hamas.”

Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon was even more forceful, calling the resolution “one-sided theater.” He added: “The only beneficiary is Hamas. When terrorists are the ones cheering, you are not advancing peace; you are advancing terror.”

According to Gaza health authorities, more than 64,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed during the war since October 7 — underscoring the deepening humanitarian crisis that continues to draw urgent calls for accountability and peace.