Highlights:
- UN General Assembly adopts “New York Declaration” with overwhelming support.
- 142 countries voted in favor, only 10 against, and 12 abstained.
- Resolution condemns Hamas attacks but also criticizes Israel’s blockade and bombings.
- Israel strongly rejects the resolution, while Hamas welcomes it as progress.
- The declaration calls for a two-state solution with a clear timeline.
A Major Step at the United Nations
On Friday, 12 September 2025, the United Nations General Assembly voted on an important resolution aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state without Hamas’s control. This resolution, named the “New York Declaration”, was presented at the UN headquarters in New York by France and Saudi Arabia.
The voting outcome was striking: 142 countries supported the resolution, only 10 countries opposed it, while 12 abstained from voting.
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What the Resolution Says
The declaration contains two major messages:
- It condemns Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
- It also criticizes Israel’s blockade, bombing, and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The resolution calls for:
- Concrete steps toward a two-state solution (Palestine and Israel living side by side).
- A clear timeline to implement this solution.
- Greater involvement of the international community to end the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israel’s Strong Rejection
Israel immediately rejected the resolution.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already stated earlier that “Palestine will never be an independent state.”
After the vote, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein criticized the resolution, saying:
“Not labeling Hamas as a terrorist group proves that the UN General Assembly has now turned into a political circus detached from reality.”
Hamas Welcomes the Decision
On the other hand, Hamas welcomed the declaration, calling it an important step forward in achieving a two-state solution. The group expressed hope that during the UN High-Level General Assembly on 22 September, several countries will officially recognize Palestine as a state.
Mixed Reactions Worldwide
The global response to this decision has been mixed. Some countries celebrated the move as a milestone for peace, while others remained critical.
Despite the divisions, the United Nations made it clear that it is determined to implement the declaration. The UN urged all member states to act together for peace and to move forward toward a two-state solution.
Source: Al Jazeera
