UN resolution demanding end to Israeli occupation welcomed in Middle East

The UN General Assembly's adoption on Wednesday of a resolution demanding Israel end its occupation within a year has received applause from the Middle East.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the adoption of the resolution, saying the resolution's passage with a majority reflects international consensus on the Palestinian cause and is a victory for Palestinians' right to self-determination and an independent state, according to a statement published by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

Emphasizing the importance of the resolution, Abbas expressed appreciation to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution and supported Palestinian rights, urging them to take personal and collective actions to compel Israel to promptly comply with all its obligations under international law.

Noting that the resolution was adopted at a historic moment when Palestine sat for the first time in an official seat at the United Nations General Assembly, the president said the international consensus on this resolution renews hope for the Palestinian people facing "comprehensive aggression and genocide" in Gaza and the West Bank, as they strive for freedom, independence, and the establishment of their state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The report said that Abbas had instructed the national team responsible for following up on the matter to work on implementing the resolution's provisions.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry also welcomed the adoption of the resolution.

The ministry stressed the need to take practical and credible steps to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue through the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions in a way that guarantees the Palestinian people their inherent rights to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In a statement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation underscored that the resolution confirms the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation and calls on Israel to end its presence and dismantle its illegal colonial settlement in the Palestinian territories within a maximum period of 12 months.

The resolution was adopted with 124 votes in favor, 14 against, and 43 abstentions during the UN General Assembly's 10th emergency special session considering Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The resolution demanding that Israel comply with all its legal obligations under international law, including advisory opinions by the International Court of Justice, was introduced by the State of Palestine on Tuesday and was co-sponsored by more than two dozen nations.