The United Nations General Assembly, in a move widely condemned by Israel as a "political circus," overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution Friday outlining "tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps" toward a two-state solution, a plan that would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The text, formally titled the “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution”, was adopted by a vote of 142 in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.
Israel and its key ally, the United States, were among the ten nations that voted against the measure. The other eight were Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.
The declaration, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, calls for "collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the Two-State solution."
The seven-page declaration, which has already been endorsed by the Arab League, includes a condemnation of Hamas, stating that the terrorist group "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support."
It further demands that "Hamas must free all hostages" and condemns "the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on the 7th of October."
Among the declaration's provisions is the "deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission" to Gaza under the mandate of the UN Security Council, intended to support the Palestinian civilian population and transfer security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.
In a scathing response to the resolution, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, issued a statement rejecting the UN’s decision.
"Once again, it has been proven how much the General Assembly is a political circus detached from reality: in the dozens of clauses of the declaration endorsed by this resolution, there is not a single mention that Hamas is a terrorist organization," Marmorstein stated.
He continued, "There is no reference to the simple fact that Hamas is solely responsible for the continuation of the war, through its refusal to return the hostages and disarm. The resolution does not advance a solution of peace — on the contrary, it encourages Hamas to continue the war."
Marmorstein concluded his statement by thanking "all the countries that did not lend their hand to this disgraceful decision in the General Assembly."
The vote comes just ahead of an upcoming UN summit in New York on September 22, co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Other countries have also announced their intent to follow suit, including Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)