The UN General Assembly also overwhelmingly voted to disarm Hamas and transfer control of Gaza.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday overwhelmingly approved a resolution advocating for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine that excludes Hamas.
The resolution calls for a lasting resolution to the Gaza conflict based on the establishment of separate Israeli and Palestinian states. It also demands the disarmament of Hamas and its removal from power in Gaza.
The non-binding resolution was adopted with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. Ukraine voted in favor, while Israel and the US opposed it.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the resolution as a “hollow gesture” and said it was “not a serious attempt at peacemaking.”
“It doesn’t shorten the war, it prolongs it. It does not weaken Hamas. It rewards them,” he stated at the assembly on Friday.
Hamas has not yet issued a statement regarding the resolution.
This UNGA resolution is the most strongly worded to date, explicitly calling for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, which it has governed for almost two decades. Hamas gained power after defeating Fatah in the 2006 election and seizing full control following clashes between the two factions the following year.
Previously, the UN had primarily focused on condemning the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which the group killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages to Gaza.
The ensuing Israeli siege of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of nearly 65,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and has created a severe humanitarian crisis in the region, leading to increasing international pressure on Israel to end its military operations.
Numerous countries have since condemned the war and recognized Palestinian statehood. Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium are expected to follow suit and formally recognize the Palestinian state at the upcoming UNGA session on September 22.
Moscow considers a two-state solution as the only viable path to de-escalate and resolve the Gaza conflict. As the successor to the Soviet Union, Russia has a long history of recognizing Palestinian statehood.
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