UN Likely to Vote Next Week on Proposal to End Israel’s Presence in Palestinian Territory, According to Reuters

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Next week, the United Nations General Assembly is expected to hold a vote on a Palestinian draft resolution urging Israel to terminate "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within a six-month timeframe.

The main objective of this draft resolution, created by the Palestinian Authority and reviewed by Reuters, is to endorse a July advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements as illegal and called for withdrawal.

While the advisory opinion from the ICJ – recognized as the highest court within the United Nations system – recommended that the withdrawal should occur "as rapidly as possible," the proposed General Assembly resolution specifies a six-month period for this to happen.

On Monday, the Arab Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement requested that the 193-member U.N. General Assembly vote on this resolution on September 18. The details of the eight-page draft could be subject to revisions before the vote occurs.

This vote is anticipated to take place just before world leaders convene in New York for their annual meeting at the United Nations.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon urged the General Assembly to "outright reject this disgraceful resolution" and instead adopt a resolution that condemns Hamas and calls for the immediate release of all hostages.

Although the ICJ’s advisory opinion is not legally binding, it holds significant influence in international law and could potentially diminish support for Israel. Similarly, while General Assembly resolutions are not binding, they can carry substantial political weight.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem – regions that the Palestinians seek for a future state – during the 1967 Middle East conflict and has since established and expanded settlements in the West Bank.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and around 250 hostages taken, according to Israeli sources.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Israel’s military operations have devastated large areas of the Palestinian enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents and leading to severe humanitarian crises, including widespread hunger and disease, claiming at least 40,000 lives, according to Palestinian health officials.

The General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce on October 27 and subsequently overwhelmingly demanded a humanitarian ceasefire in December.