UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The U.N. General Assembly is considering a Palestinian resolution Tuesday demanding that Israel end its 鈥渦nlawful presence鈥 in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year and calling for sanctions and an arms embargo against the country.
It will be put to a vote in the 193-member assembly Wednesday as Israel鈥檚 approaches its first anniversary and as violence in the West Bank . The war was triggered by on Oct. 7.
Israel鈥檚 ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, urged member nations to reject the measure, describing it as a 鈥渞eward for terrorism.鈥
鈥淚nstead of a resolution condemning the rape and massacre committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, we gather to watch the Palestinian circus under the auspices of the United Nations,鈥 he said Tuesday.
The resolution, if adopted by the General Assembly, would not be legally binding but the extent of its support would reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council.
It follows a in July that said Israel鈥檚 presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.
In the sweeping condemnation of Israel鈥檚 rule over the lands it captured during the 1967 war, the International Court of Justice said Israel had no right to sovereignty over the territories and was violating international laws against acquiring the lands by force.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, opened the General Assembly meeting saying Palestinians face an 鈥渆xistential threat.鈥 He claimed Israel has held them 鈥渋n shackles鈥 and that it's beyond time Israel's occupation ends and Palestinians return to their ancestral lands.
The resolution demands Israel withdraw its forces, immediately halt all new and evacuate all settlers from the Palestinian territories.
The measure also calls for Israel to pay reparations to Palestinians for the damage caused by its occupation. It urges countries to take steps to prevent trade or investments that maintain Israel鈥檚 presence and implement sanctions, 鈥渋ncluding in relation to settler violence.鈥
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas Greenfield told reporters that the resolution has 鈥渁 significant number of flaws,鈥 saying it goes beyond the ICJ ruling and doesn鈥檛 recognize both that 鈥淗amas is a terrorist organization鈥 in control of Gaza and that Israel has a right to defend itself.
鈥淚n our view, the resolution does not bring about tangible benefits across the board for the Palestinian people,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think it could complicate the situation on the ground, complicate what we鈥檙e trying to do to end the conflict, and I think it impedes reinvigorating steps toward a two-state solution.鈥
Mansour told reporters this week that over 60 countries have asked to speak ahead of Wednesday鈥檚 vote.
He said demanded Israel end its occupation within six months but that it was revised in response to concerns of some countries to increase the time frame to within a year.
He said the focus of the resolution is putting into place the International Court of Justice鈥檚 ruling, which is also not legally binding.
鈥淭he idea is, you want to use the pressure of the international community in the GA, and the pressure of the historic ruling by the ICJ to force Israel to change its behavior in the direction of accepting to withdraw from the occupied territory,鈥 Mansour said.
Most likely, he said, Israel won鈥檛 pay attention to the resolution and the Palestinians will then submit another one.
Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory.
