Egypt applauds UN resolution urging end to Israeli occupation of Palestine within 12 months

CAIRO – 20 September 2024: Egypt has praised the recent adoption by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of a resolution that intensifies pressure on Israel to cease its occupation of the Palestinian territories within a 12-month timeframe.

In a significant majority, 124 UN member states voted in favor of the resolution endorsing an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July on the legal ramifications stemming from Israel's policies and actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem.

Only 14 nations, including the United States, Hungary, Israel, and others, opposed the resolution, while 43 countries abstained from voting.

#BREAKING

UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution demanding that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and do so within 12 months

Voting result
In favor: 124
Against: 14
Abstain: 43 pic.twitter.com/hIwn7y6EY4

— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) September 18, 2024

Egypt considers the adoption of the resolution by a majority of 124 countries as a reflection of broad international support for ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and all its illegal manifestations,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

Egypt also stressed that the resolution reflects “a desire to correct the historical injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people and to recognize their right to self-determination.”

The ministry emphasized the importance of consolidated international endeavors aimed at restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian population, promoting the two-state solution, and terminating the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

Egypt also advocated for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem designated as its capital.

The UNGA's vote on Wednesday supports the ICJ's opinion, which categorizes Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as unlawful and calls for its cessation within the specified 12-month period.

UN experts warn international order stands on a knife’s edge, call on States to comply with @CIJ_ICJ Advisory Opinion and act now to stop Israel’s attacks against #Palestinians and end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.https://t.co/lirDQm9Tb6 pic.twitter.com/cPxJ1LYWEx

— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) September 18, 2024

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour hailed the resolution as a pivotal moment, while Israel's ambassador, Danny Danon, condemned the vote as "shameful."

Although both the UNGA resolution and the ICJ advisory opinion are non-binding, they heighten the pressure on Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza, now nearing a year in duration, and its enduring occupation of Palestinian lands since 1967.

Since the commencement of the Gaza war, Israeli forces have killed 41,272 lives, left 95,551 individuals injured, decimated essential infrastructure, and pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.

Furthermore, violence perpetrated by Israeli forces and settlers has claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank during this period.