The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution demanding that Israel end its “unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” within 12 months.
The nonbinding resolution also said that Israel should withdraw its military forces; halt the expansion of settlements and evacuate all settlers from occupied land; and demolish parts of a separation wall constructed inside the occupied West Bank.
A majority of members — 124 countries — voted in favor. Fourteen countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against the resolution and 43 countries abstained.
It also asks member states to cease arms transfers to Israel when there are reasonable grounds to believe that they might be used in the occupied territory and to impose sanctions on settlers involved in violence against Palestinians. It also calls for accountability for Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law, including paying reparations.
The Palestinian-drafted resolution was based on the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, issued in July, which said that Israel should end its occupation of Palestinian territory and that its continued presence is considered illegal and a “wrongful act.”
Israel considers territories it captured in 1967 — including East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza — to be on disputed land and therefore not occupied according to legal terms. But the United Nations and most of the international community deems them occupied territory.
“Please stand on the right side of history. With international law. With freedom,” Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, said in an address to the assembly.
In a social media statement, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman described the U.N. action as “cynical international politics” that “further distances the possibility” of a cease-fire and hostage release deal.
Which countries voted against the resolution?
The United States, Israel and 12 other nations voted against the resolution.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement that it “does not advance” progress toward a two-state solution and does nothing to end the ongoing war in Gaza or bring home the hostages held by Hamas.
The United States in December voted against a U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, arguing that it failed to condemn Hamas for the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
Countries that voted against the resolution: Argentina, Czech Republic, Fiji, Hungary, Israel, Malawi, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States.
Which countries abstained?
Several European countries — including Germany, one of Israel’s main military backers — abstained from voting on the resolution.
Britain, which also abstained, said that while it supports the ICJ’s findings, the current resolution does not provide enough clarity on “our shared aim of a peace premised on a negotiated two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a safe and secure Palestinian state.”
Ukraine, which has filed a case at the ICJ against Russia over its 2022 invasion, abstained from the vote. India and South Korea, which in December voted in favor of a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, also abstained.
Countries that abstained: Albania, Australia, Austria, Britain, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Italy, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Moldova, Nepal, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Panama, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Samoa, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vanuatu. Which countries voted in favor?
The European countries to vote in favor of the resolution included France and Spain. Others, such as Greece, acknowledged Israel’s security needs but voted in favor of the current resolution out of respect for ICJ’s work.
Japan, a key U.S. ally, was among the countries that voted for the resolution, citing the need to uphold international law and to acknowledge the role of the ICJ. Singapore supported the resolution but said calling for measures that have not been negotiated by the two sides “may only harden positions.”
Many South American nations, some of which have cut diplomatic ties with Israel or recalled their ambassadors over the war in Gaza, voted in favor as well.
Countries that voted for the resolution: Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua-Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, Trinidad-Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.