Askume UNITED NATIONS, Sep 9 – The United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a Palestinian draft resolution calling on Israel to end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within six months.
The draft resolution, prepared by the Palestinian Authority and seen by Askume, is primarily aimed at welcoming an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July that said Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements was illegal and should be rolled back.
But while an advisory opinion from the UN’s top court, known as the World Court, said the work should be completed “as soon as possible”, the draft General Assembly resolution sets a six-month deadline.
Arab organizations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement on Monday urged the 193-member UN General Assembly to hold a vote on September 18. The language of the eight-page draft resolution could be changed before the vote.
The vote will take place just days before world leaders arrive in New York for the annual United Nations meeting.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged the General Assembly “to reject this outrageous resolution in its entirety and replace it with a resolution condemning Hamas and calling for the immediate release of all hostages”.
ICJ advisory opinions are non-binding but important under international law and could reduce support for Israel. UN General Assembly resolutions are also non-binding but carry political weight.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem – historic Palestinian territory where Palestinians hope to establish a state – in the 1967 Mideast war and has continued to establish and expand settlements in the West Bank since then.
According to Israeli figures, the current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Israeli forces have since destroyed large parts of Palestinian territory, displacing some 2.3 million people from their homes, leading to deadly starvation and disease that has killed at least 40,000, according to Palestinian health officials.
On 27 October, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire . This was followed by a stronger call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in December .
