UN General Assembly to vote on Palestinian state without Hamas

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on September 12 on the “New York Declaration,” a resolution aimed at reviving the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, without the involvement of Hamas.

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," explicitly condemns the militant group. It states: “Hamas must free all hostages” and affirms that the Assembly condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on the 7th of October," Caliber.Az reports via Arab News. 

It further 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 declaration, presented jointly by France and Saudi Arabia, has already been endorsed by the Arab League and co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries. In addition to condemning Hamas, it seeks to remove the group from authority 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 text states.

The vote comes ahead of a UN summit in New York on September 22, to be co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to formally recognise the Palestinian state.

“The fact that the General Assembly is finally backing a text that condemns Hamas directly is significant,” Richard Gowan, UN Director at the International Crisis Group, told AFP. “Even if Israelis will say it is far too little, far too late. Now at least states supporting the Palestinians can rebuff Israeli accusations that they implicitly condone Hamas. It offers a shield against Israeli criticism.”

Alongside Macron, several other leaders are also expected to announce recognition of Palestinian statehood at the summit. The gestures are seen as an attempt to increase pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks.

The declaration also proposes a “deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission” under a UN Security Council mandate, intended to support civilians in Gaza and help transfer security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.

Currently, around three-quarters of the UN’s 193 member states recognise the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership. But after nearly two years of war in Gaza, growing Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, and Israeli officials’ stated intent to annex the territory, fears are mounting that a two-state solution could soon become unattainable.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced that stance on September 11, declaring: “We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may not be able to attend the upcoming summit, after US authorities indicated they would deny him a visa.

By Sabina Mammadli