New York: Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel. The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month. The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document.
According to Nam News Network, the roadmap further calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization between Israel and the Arab countries, as well as collective security guarantees. Speaking ahead of the vote, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said that this one-sided Declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this Assembly's credibility. He said that Hamas is the biggest winner of any endorsement here today and will declare it the fruit of 7 October.
The high-level international conference in July was held against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and deteriorating prospects for the two-State solution.