A majority of the 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday voted in favour of a Palestinian resolution demanding an end to Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year. 

The nonbinding resolution put forward by the Palestinian Authority was based on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) back in July, which said Israel’s presence in the occupied territories was unlawful and must end. 

One hundred and twenty-four countries voted in favour of the resolution at UN headquarters in New York City, while 14 countries voted against it, including Israel and the United States. 

The 43 countries that abstained include US allies Australia, Canada, Germany, and Ukraine. 

Their ambassadors said that while they support a two-state solution, they cannot vote in favour of a resolution that does not spell out Israel’s right to defend itself. 

Canada’s ambassador to the UN Bob Rae said the resolution lacks a condemnation of terrorism and suggests that only one side, Israel, is responsible for the unlawful acts in the occupied territories.

Neither the ICJ ruling nor the resolution passed Wednesday is legally binding. 

While the State of Palestine is not a full voting member of the UN, it has an upgraded observer status as of last May, and ambassador Riyad Mansour took his official seat in the General Assembly for the first time last week.

Momentum in favour of Palestine’s full membership at the UN picked up steam after the 7 October Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza that has killed more than 41,200 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip in over 11 months of intense bombardment, including an estimated 16,700 children, according to health officials.

The resolution put forward by Palestine calls for Israeli settlers to be removed from the areas occupied by Israel in 1967; divestment from Israeli entities profiting from that land; and compensation for Palestinians who have been living under Israeli military occupation. 

This is a developing story that will be updated…