UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution Backing Two-State Solution, Condemning Hamas
The resolution, presented jointly by France and Saudi Arabia, received strong support with 142 votes in favor, 10 against—including Israel and the United States—and 12 abstentions.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly adopted the "New York Declaration," a resolution aimed at revitalizing efforts toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while explicitly condemning Hamas.
The resolution, presented jointly by France and Saudi Arabia, received strong support with 142 votes in favor, 10 against—including Israel and the United States—and 12 abstentions.
Formally entitled the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the text demands that Hamas release all hostages and surrender all its weapons. It also condemns the group’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israeli civilians, marking the first time the UN General Assembly has issued such a direct rebuke.
The declaration further calls for “collective action to end the war in Gaza and to achieve a just, peaceful, and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the Two-State solution.”
It goes beyond condemnation of Hamas, stressing the need for the group to relinquish power in Gaza. “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the resolution states.
The Arab League has already endorsed the declaration, which was co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries. Its adoption represents a rare moment of consensus on the long-stalled peace process, which Israel has long criticized the UN for failing to advance.
The vote comes ahead of a high-level UN summit on September 22 in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to formally announce his country’s recognition of a Palestinian state during the gathering.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has remained unresolved for more than seven decades, with repeated attempts at peace talks failing to deliver a lasting solution. The two-state framework, envisioning Israel and an independent Palestinian state coexisting side by side, has been the cornerstone of international diplomacy since the 1993 Oslo Accords. However, settlement expansion, political divisions among Palestinians, and recurring cycles of violence have stalled progress.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel—which left over 1,200 people dead and triggered a devastating war in Gaza — reshaped the international debate around the conflict. Israel has consistently accused UN institutions of bias for not condemning Hamas' actions, while Palestinians have argued that the UN has failed to adequately protect their rights under occupation. The adoption of the New York Declaration is seen as an effort to reset the international community’s engagement with the conflict, placing renewed emphasis on a negotiated two-state solution.
