UN adopts resolution backing Palestinian statehood, with Uzbekistan voting in favor

The “New York Declaration”, adopted on Friday, sets out “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards establishing a Palestinian state. The resolution passed with 142 votes in favor – including Uzbekistan – 10 against, and 12 abstentions. Israel and its closest ally, the United States, were among the opposing votes.

Co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, the seven-page document calls for collective action to end the war in Gaza and achieve “a just, peaceful and lasting settlement” based on the two-state formula.

The resolution also demands that Hamas, which governs Gaza, release all hostages, end its rule in the enclave, and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority – measures framed as prerequisites for an “independent and sovereign Palestinian state”.

Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the Saudi-French initiative, praising the adoption of what it described as an “actionable plan” for statehood. It also urged the international community to “activate all mechanisms to end the Israeli colonial occupation” and secure Palestinian rights.

The vote came as Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza and advanced plans for new settlements in the occupied West Bank – moves critics say undermine any chance of a future Palestinian state.

The resolution precedes a high-level UN summit in New York on September 22, to be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. French President Emmanuel Macron and several other leaders are expected to use the meeting to formally recognize Palestine.

Currently, 146 UN member states recognize Palestine. Another 10 – including France, Norway, Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom – are expected to join them later this month.