The United Nations General Assembly has strongly backed a new declaration calling for concrete, time-bound steps toward a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. In a major diplomatic development, 142 countries voted in favor of the resolution, while only 10—including the United States and Israel—opposed it. Twelve countries abstained from voting. The vote came just days ahead of the annual UN summit of world leaders.
The seven-page declaration stems from a July peace conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. Both the US and Israel boycotted that event. Despite their absence, the document gained wide international support and lays out a clear demand for a permanent end to the Gaza conflict. It calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and supports the deployment of a UN-mandated stabilization force in the region.
Importantly, the resolution condemns both Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and Israel’s retaliatory strikes on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza. It blames the Israeli siege for creating a humanitarian crisis. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that the UN has, for the first time, explicitly condemned Hamas and called for its disarmament.
The resolution faced sharp criticism from both the United States and Israel. A US diplomat called it “a gift to Hamas” and argued it undermined genuine peace efforts. Israel’s UN envoy described the vote as “political theater” and claimed it emboldened terrorists rather than promoting peace. Both nations said the resolution was one-sided and did not address Israel’s security concerns.
Nevertheless, support from all Gulf Arab nations and much of the international community highlights a growing global consensus for a two-state solution. The resolution reflects mounting pressure for an end to the war in Gaza and a long-term path toward Palestinian statehood, even as divisions persist among global powers.