UN adopts resolution affirming Palestinian right to self-determination by overwhelming majority

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Tuesday affirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination by an overwhelming majority.

A total of 172 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while Israel and the US were among the only seven countries that opposed it. Eight countries abstained.

The adoption of this resolution reflects a global rejection of Israel’s occupation and colonial activities, which hinder the Palestinian people from achieving their right to self-determination and living with dignity in an independent state, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The resolution highlights the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for its immediate end due to its devastating impact on the Palestinian people’s ability to exercise their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by the UN Charter and international law.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution, emphasising that it represents a fundamental and inalienable right, as well as a cornerstone of the United Nations Charter.

The Ministry highlighted the importance of implementing the General Assembly’s resolution, which endorsed the advisory opinion of the ICJ on the illegality of the Israeli occupation.

Hamas also welcomed the resolution, saying it “is an expression of the global rallying around and belief in the justice of the Palestinian cause, and the widespread rejection of the Israeli occupation and the criminal policies led by the US administration that denies our Palestinian people their rights.”

The international community, it added, must now overcome the unjust American will, and translate these resolutions into practical steps that stop the Israeli aggression in Gaza and end the occupation and enable Palestinians to determine their fate and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

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