The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution aimed at reviving the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, explicitly excluding Hamas from any future political role.
On Friday, September 12, 142 member states voted in favor of the measure, with 10 against, including Israel and the United States, and 12 abstentions. The text, known as the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, condemns Hamas, demands the release of hostages, and insists the group surrender its weapons.
Drafted by France and Saudi Arabia, the resolution states that “Hamas must free all hostages” and “end its rule in Gaza,” transferring authority to the Palestinian Authority with international support. It also calls for collective action to end the war in Gaza and establish “a just, peaceful and lasting settlement” rooted in the two-state framework.
Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the decision, describing it as an important step toward ending Israeli occupation and achieving an independent Palestinian state. Israeli officials rejected the resolution, with foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein calling it proof that the UN had become “a political circus detached from reality.”
The vote precedes a September 22 summit in New York co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, at which French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders are expected to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. Analysts say the resolution gives pro-Palestinian states a “shield” against accusations that they condone Hamas, while increasing pressure on Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza.
The declaration also raises the prospect of a temporary UN-led international stabilization mission in Gaza to support civilians.
While about three-quarters of UN member states already recognize Palestinian statehood, years of conflict, settlement expansion in the West Bank, and Israeli government pledges to block the creation of a Palestinian state have cast doubt on the feasibility of the plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Thursday that “there will be no Palestinian state,” even as the UN pressed forward with what supporters call a renewed path to peace.
