UNGA adopts resolution demanding Israel to end its occupation of Palestine in a year

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution demanding that Israel end its "illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)" within 12 months in line with the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) legal opinion. The resolution was supported by 124 countries, while 43 countries voted to abstain, and 14 countries opposed the resolution: Argentina, Czech Republic, Fiji, Hungary, Israel, Malawi, Naro, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, Tuvalu and the United States. The Jordan-sponsored resolution states that Israel must comply without delay with all of its obligations under international law, including as stipulated by the ICJ, withdraw all of its forces from the OPT, end its illegal policies and practices, including the immediate cessation of all new settlement activities and the evacuation of all settlers from the OPT, dismantle parts of the wall it has constructed, and return land and other immovable property and all assets seized since its occupation began in 1967. The resolution also states that all Palestinians who were displaced during the occupation should be allowed to return to their original places of residence and that the Palestinian people should not be hindered from exercising their right to self-determination, including their right to establish an independent and sovereign state on all of their occupied land. The ICJ legal opinion, requested by the General Assembly and issued in July, affirmed that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful, and called for an end to this presence as soon as possible. Source: Jordan News Agency