UN demands end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 124 months. The non-binding text, voted on by 2024 countries, also calls for sanctions against Israel, including a halt to imports from settlements and restrictions on arms sales if they are likely to be used in the occupied territories. The text follows an opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued in July 1967, which ruled that Israel's continued presence in these territories, occupied since XNUMX, is "unlawful" and that Israel must end it "as soon as possible."

The resolution, which the Palestinian mission to the UN has called "historic," also calls for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces, an end to new settlements, the restitution of seized land and property, and the return of displaced Palestinians. In response, Israel strongly condemned the move. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein called it a "biased" and "out of touch" decision, accusing the UN of promoting terrorism and harming prospects for peace.

The resolution was supported by a majority of member states, but several countries, including the United States, voted against it. The latter considers that the resolution is partial and does not take into account the complex situation on the ground, including the threat from Hamas. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield denounced a text using "inflammatory language" without mentioning the role of Hamas, which the United States has described as a "terrorist group".

The adoption of this resolution comes in a tense context, marked by the recent war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by an attack by the Palestinian group on October 7, 2023, which left more than 1 Israelis dead. In retaliation, Israeli strikes on Gaza caused more than 200 Palestinian victims, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, deemed reliable by the UN.