The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a declaration urging concrete steps toward establishing a Palestinian state. In a vote held Friday, the Assembly endorsed the New York Declaration with 142 in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions.

Drafted in July by France and Saudi Arabia, the declaration calls for “tangible, time-bound, and irreversible steps” to implement a two-state solution. It also excludes Hamas and urges collective efforts to end the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

The resolution follows an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict held at the UN headquarters, which Israel and the United States boycotted.

According to UN voting records, those opposing the declaration included Israel, the US, Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga. The text was co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab League members.

The vote comes amid growing international momentum for Palestinian statehood. Countries such as France, Belgium, the UK, Canada, and Australia have signaled support for recognition, potentially joining the 147 UN member states that already recognize the State of Palestine.

Israel has strongly opposed the declaration. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his government's rejection of a Palestinian state, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned that European recognition could prompt Israeli “unilateral decisions.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to annex over 80% of the West Bank, calling it a preemptive move against Palestinian statehood.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the withdrawal of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.