UN members back resolution directing Israel to leave occupied territories

In a symbolic step exposing Israel’s continued international isolation, the UN general assembly has voted overwhelmingly to direct Israel to leave the occupied Palestinian territories within a year.

The non-binding vote follows a historic advisory ruling in July by the international court of justice (ICJ) urging Israel to cease “its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as soon as possible and stop all settlement activity there immediately”.

Wednesday’s resolution was passed by 124 votes to 14 with 43 abstentions, prompting applause across the general assembly chamber in New York. The UK and Australia abstained while the US voted against.

Condemnations of Israel by the general assembly are frequent, including two resolutions passed by comparable majorities since the conflict began on 7 October, but this is the first since 1982 to advocate sanctions against Israel.

It arguably has additional force since it claims to be seeking to enforce an ICJ ruling. The resolution states: “Israel’s security concerns cannot override the principle of the prohibition of the acquisition of territory by force.”

It is also the first resolution tabled by Palestine since the UN general assembly voted in May by 143 to nine to upgrade Palestine’s UN observer status by giving the Palestinian delegation the right to submit resolutions. That vote came after the US had used its veto at the UN security council in April to block Palestine being given full UN status.

The latest resolution urges member states to end the import of products originating in the Israeli settlements and to stop the provision of arms, munitions and related equipment to Israel “if it is reasonable to suspect that they may be used in the occupied Palestinian territory”.

Additionally, it requires the UN general secretary, António Guterres, to report within three months on what progress he had made in urging Israel to cooperate.

The US has no veto at the general assembly, unlike on the 15-strong security council, but lobbied hard among allies to minimise size of the vote condemning Israel.

The assembly vote does not have the force of law and in Israel the resolution is likely to confirm a widely held view that the UN is driven by a bias against the country.

In October the general assembly voted by 120 in favour and 14 against with 45 abstentions to demand that greater humanitarian aid be allowed into Gaza. In December the assembly voted 153 to 10 with 23 abstaining to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, argued against the adoption of the latest resolution, saying it was one-sided and selectively interpreted the substance of the ICJ’s opinion. Such selectivity “did not advance what we all want to see – progress towards two states living in peace, side by side,” she said.

She also said the resolution was unbalanced since it did not condemn Hamas as a terrorist group.

During the three-day debate, Egypt’s envoy, Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud, reflected the frustration of Middle Eastern states that Israel was being protected by the US from the legal and political judgments of the international courts.

He said the Israeli occupation, with its settlements and extremist settlers, “would not be viable” if countries that respected international law and the ICJ’s legal opinion decided to boycott Israel and end cooperation.

“Putting an end to the occupation and deterring Israel’s hostile behaviour against the Palestinian people is an urgent necessity to maintain international security and what remains of regional stability,” he said.

“Israel has gone too far, and its aggression against the United Nations itself has killed more than 220 UN staff members, as it continues to adopt a law that would criminalise the UN relief agency Unrwa and consider it a terrorist organisation.”