The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution aimed at reviving the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, explicitly excluding Hamas from any future political role.
On Friday, September 12, 142 member states voted in favor of the resolution, with 10 opposed—including Israel and the United States—and 12 abstaining. Known as the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, the resolution condemns Hamas, demands the release of hostages, and calls for the group to disarm.
Drafted by France and Saudi Arabia, the text asserts that Hamas must end its rule in Gaza, release all hostages, and transfer authority to the Palestinian Authority with the backing of international partners. It further urges collective action to end the conflict in Gaza and establish “a just, peaceful and lasting settlement” based on the two-state framework.
Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the vote as a significant step toward ending Israeli occupation and advancing Palestinian statehood. In contrast, Israel sharply criticized the measure; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein called it evidence the UN had become “a political circus detached from reality.”
The vote comes ahead of a September 22 summit in New York co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, where leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state. Analysts say the resolution allows pro-Palestinian nations to distance themselves from Hamas while intensifying pressure on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza.
The declaration also raises the possibility of a temporary UN-led stabilization mission in Gaza to assist civilians and support the transition process.
Although nearly three-quarters of UN member states already recognize Palestinian statehood, years of violence, Israeli settlement expansion, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state outcome continue to cast doubt on the resolution’s viability. On Thursday, Netanyahu reiterated that “there will be no Palestinian state,” underscoring Israel’s opposition even as the UN advances what supporters describe as a renewed diplomatic effort for peace
