The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly endorsed a declaration setting out “tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution, while condemning both Hamas and Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The non-binding resolution, adopted in New York on 12 September by 142 votes to 10 with 12 abstentions, backs the New York Declaration, a seven-page text drawn up after a July conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France.
The declaration condemns the 7 October 2023 assault by Hamas on Israel and calls for the group’s surrender and disarmament. It also condemns Israeli attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza, along with siege and starvation tactics that have produced a humanitarian crisis. The text states the war in Gaza “must end now” and supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission under a United Nations Security Council mandate.
The New York meeting in July — boycotted by the United States and Israel — was intended to design a phased approach and prepare governance arrangements for Palestinian areas without Hamas control. Under the plan, the Palestinian Authority would assume administrative responsibility with international backing, alongside measures to secure the release of hostages taken on 7 October and to protect civilians on both sides. The declaration envisages international monitoring to track compliance with benchmarks on security, governance and economic measures.
Friday’s vote came ahead of a separate gathering of world leaders on 22 September on the margins of the high-level General Assembly. Britain, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium are expected to use that meeting to formalise recognition of a Palestinian state, following announcements of intent made over the summer by several of those governments. More than two-thirds of UN members already recognise Palestinian statehood; none of the G7 do, though Paris has said it will proceed this month.
Support cut across regions, with Gulf Arab states voting in favour. Ten countries opposed: Israel and the United States, joined by Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga. Twelve states abstained. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, and implementation of any stabilisation mission would depend on a separate Security Council decision.
Washington said the vote would hinder rather than help efforts to end the war. “Make no mistake — this resolution is a gift to Hamas,” US diplomat Morgan Ortagus told the Assembly, arguing it would embolden the group and undermine diplomacy. Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon described the declaration as one-sided and “theatre,” saying: “When terrorists are the ones cheering, you are not advancing peace; you are advancing terror.”
France welcomed the outcome. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the text secured the “international isolation of Hamas” and marked the first time the UN had adopted language condemning the group’s crimes and calling for its surrender and disarmament. The French government has positioned the declaration as part of a broader roadmap to revive a negotiated settlement and rebuild Palestinian governance capacity, including reforms to the Palestinian Authority and support for security forces.
The vote reflects the continuing international split over how to end the conflict that began when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and abducted 251, according to Israeli figures. Local health authorities in Gaza say more than 64,000 people have been killed during Israel’s campaign, also mostly civilians. Israel maintains that Hamas embeds its forces in civilian areas and says it provides warnings ahead of strikes; humanitarian agencies report widespread displacement and damage to civilian infrastructure.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected a Palestinian state, arguing that security conditions and Hamas’s presence preclude such a move. Backers of the New York Declaration contend that a credible political horizon, coupled with security guarantees and international monitoring, is required to end hostilities and avert renewed violence.
