UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) member states on Tuesday engaged in a heated debate over a draft resolution formally demanding an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories within a year.
The resolution, strongly supported by Palestinian leaders and several Arab states, is based on the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation since 1967 as “unlawful.”
“Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible,” read the opinion, requested by the General Assembly.
In response, Arab countries called for a special session of the General Assembly just days before dozens of heads of state and government descend on the UN headquarters this month to address the kick-off of this year’s UN General Assembly session.
“The idea is you want to use the pressure of the international community in the General Assembly and the pressure of the historic ruling by the ICJ to force Israel to change its behavior,” said Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour Monday, acknowledging the draft resolution had “shocked many countries.”
The draft resolution, due to be voted on late Tuesday or Wednesday, “demands that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” and that this be done “no later than 12 months from the adoption.” The first draft text gave only six months for end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The draft resolution — which would be non-binding — also “demands” the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories, a halt to new Israeli settlements, the return of seized land and property, and the possibility of return for displaced Palestinians.
“The Palestinians want to live — not survive. They want to be safe in their homes,” said Mansour on Tuesday, kicking off the debate on the first resolution ever introduced by the Palestinians. “How many more Palestinians need to be killed before change finally takes place to stop this inhumanity?”
The ICJ opinion was “a historic opinion as this was the first time the court examined the Israeli occupation as a whole,” Mansour said.
While the Security Council is largely paralyzed on the Gaza issue — with the United States repeatedly vetoing censures of its ally Israel — the General Assembly has adopted several resolutions in support of Palestinian civilians amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 41,252 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7.
In May the General Assembly overwhelmingly supported a resolution on full Palestinian membership of the UN, garnering 143 votes in favor, nine against with 25 abstentions.
The resolution had previously been vetoed by Washington at the UN Security Council.
