In September, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding that Israel end its occupation of Palestine within a year. The vote was significant, with 124 countries supporting the measure, 43 abstaining, and only 14 voting against it.
Among those opposing were the United States, Israel, Hungary, and Argentina. The resolution reflects growing international frustration with Israel’s continued occupation and the ongoing conflict. (Related: Israel's entire occupation of Palestine since 1948 ruled illegal by the UN.)
This latest move by the UN comes as tensions have sharply escalated in the region, with Hezbollah in Lebanon launching missile, drone and artillery strikes at northern Israel in solidarity with Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with a series of military actions, further intensifying the conflict. In Lebanon, Israeli forces have reportedly fired on UN peacekeepers on multiple occasions, raising concerns about a broader regional war even further.
Humanitarian situation in Gaza worsening by the day
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened as the death toll continues to rise. Moderate estimates place the number of fatalities at more than 41,000, with the majority of those killed being women and children.
Human rights organizations have increasingly referred to the situation as a form of genocide, citing the scale of destruction and the indiscriminate nature of many Israeli strikes. Israel, however, insists that it is targeting Hezbollah operatives, who it claims are operating in civilian areas to deter strikes. The Israeli government argues that its military actions are necessary to ensure its survival and protect its citizens from future attacks.
The conflict has also drawn attention to Israel’s long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories. In July, the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation is illegal under international law.
The ICJ cited Israel’s illegal construction of settlements in the Palestinian West Bank, moves that have displaced thousands of Palestinians and has received major condemnation from the international community.
The ICJ also highlighted Israel's discriminatory policies against not just Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank but also against its own Israeli citizens with Arab or Palestinian descent, describing them as "apartheid-like" measures. The July ruling laid the groundwork for the September resolution, which formalized the international demand for Israel to end its occupation within 12 months.
This resolution is the latest in a series of UN measures aimed at addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That resolution explicitly labeled Israel as an "occupying power" and reminded member states that previous Security Council resolutions, such as Resolution 242 from 1967, are binding under international law. Resolution 242 called for Israel to withdraw from the territories it had occupied during the June 1967 war, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
Despite these efforts, Israel has shown little willingness to comply. Netanyahu’s government has been unyielding, even in the face of mounting international criticism. This defiance in the face of growing international pressure for a ceasefire has further isolated Israel diplomatically, as its actions are increasingly seen as counterproductive to achieving peace.
Watch Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' full speech before the United Nations on Sept. 26, right before the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for the decolonization of Palestine.
This video is from the AllTheWorldsAStage channel on Brighteon.com.
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