UN GA endorses New York Declaration on 'two-state solution'
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The Declaration calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the formation of a Palestinian state, and the disarmament and dismantlement of Hamas
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Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, speaks during a high-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State solution at United Nations Headquarters, on Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed the New York Declaration, a roadmap for a "two-state" solution to almost 8 decades of Zionist occupation of Palestine. The resolution passed with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.
The declaration was the outcome of a high-level conference hosted in July by Saudi Arabia and France. Both the United States and "Israel" boycotted the meeting, dismissing it as biased, with Netanyahu announcing yesterday that "there will be no Palestinian state."
BREAKING: 🇮🇱🇵🇸 The UN General Assembly just adopted with 142 yes votes the resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the implementation of the Two-State Solution. pic.twitter.com/1hqdQbkA0p
— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) September 12, 2025
What the New York Declaration entails
The declaration commits the international community to tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps toward a Palestinian state. It calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and affirms that the Strip is an inseparable part of any future Palestinian state. Governance, security, and rule of law in Gaza are to fall under the authority of the Palestinian Authority, supported by international mechanisms.
The declaration also explicitly condemns the October 7 resistance operation against the zionist entity, a first since the start of the war. While earlier drafts or humanitarian-focused resolutions avoided direct reference, this document unequivocally denounces the operation, calls for Hamas’s surrender and disarmament, and demands its exclusion from Gaza governance.
The declaration equates occupier to occupied as it also denounced "Israel's" ongoing genocidal campaign against civilians and infrastructure in Gaza, which it says have resulted in a devastating humanitarian catastrophe.
Additionally, the document mandates the deployment of a temporary UN stabilization mission to oversee security and endorses the Gaza Reconstruction Plan proposed by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
It further emphasizes the need for general and presidential elections within one year across all Palestinian territories, including occupied al-Quds, while reaffirming the historical and legal status of the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites under Hashemite custodianship.
The text calls on "Israel" to halt all settlement expansion, annexation attempts, and acts of violence, urging its leadership to make a clear public commitment to the "two-state" framework.
International recognition of Palestine
The UN vote coincided with a wave of announcements by states preparing to recognize Palestine as an independent state. Australia, France, Malta, Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, and San Marino declared their intent to recognize Palestine in Spetmeber, aligning the decision with the opening of the UN General Assembly.
Even Germany, a long-time staunch ally of "Israel," announced it would recognize the State of Palestine, albeit not at the UN General Assembly.
Other European nations, including Ireland, Spain, Norway, and Luxembourg, had already taken similar steps in recent years, marking a steady shift in European policy.
International reactions
Reactions to the resolution highlighted deep international divides. Gulf Arab states and several European countries voiced their support, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot describing the outcome as confirmation of the "international isolation" of Hamas.
By contrast, the United States dismissed the vote as a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt,” arguing that it undermined genuine diplomacy. "Israel" also rejected the declaration, with its UN ambassador Danny Danon calling it "theater" and claiming it emboldened Hamas rather than advancing peace.
The declaration warns that the conflict “must end now,” stressing that the continued siege, starvation, and indiscriminate strikes on civilians and infrastructure have created a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale.
