The Vote for Palestinian Statehood
The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on September 12, 2025, to endorse the New York Declaration, a landmark resolution outlining "tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps" toward a two-state solution. The declaration received 142 votes in favor, with only 10 nations, including Israel, the United States, and Hungary voting against, while 12 abstained. The resolution condemns Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks but also explicitly condemns Israel’s "devastating humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza, including siege tactics and starvation policies that have killed over 64,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. The vote signals unprecedented global isolation for Israel and the U.S., with even traditional allies like Gulf Arab states supporting the resolution.
Humanitarian Catastrophe and Israeli War Crimes
The resolution comes amid what UN officials term a "protection crisis" in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 64,000 Palestinians. including 18,592 children since October 2023. Independent analyses, including a peer-reviewed Lancet study, suggest the actual death toll may exceed 93,000 when accounting for unrecovered bodies and indirect deaths from famine and disease. Israel’s own military intelligence data, revealed by The Guardian, indicates that 83% of those killed are civilians, a ratio rarely seen in modern conflicts. The declaration condemns Israel’s destruction of civilian infrastructure, targeting of hospitals, and use of starvation as a weapon of war, practices the International Court of Justice has labeled plausibly genocidal.
Hamas’s Conditions
While the resolution calls for Hamas to disarm and release hostages, the group has consistently stated it will only do so in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal, permanent ceasefire, and end to the blockade. Hamas officials argue that resistance remains legitimate under international law until occupation ends, citing Israel’s illegal settlements and apartheid policies. The resolution’s demand for Hamas to surrender weapons to the Palestinian Authority is viewed skeptically by analysts, given that the PA lacks credibility among Palestinians due to its security cooperation with Israel.
U.S.-Israel Isolation
The vote underscores the growing rift between Israel and its traditional allies. France, Saudi Arabia, and all Gulf states backed the resolution, while the U.S. and Israel stood isolated alongside Pacific microstates and far-right governments. U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus dismissed the resolution as a "publicity stunt," claiming it "emboldens Hamas". Conversely, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon accused the UN of "theater," ignoring that 75% of UN members now recognize Palestine. The resolution paves the way for France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Belgium to formally recognize Palestine at a September 22 summit, further cementing Palestinian statehood diplomatically.
The Future
The declaration supports deploying a UN-mandated stabilization force to Gaza, a move Israel rejects as an infringement on its sovereignty. However, with Israel’s recent assassination of Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of West Bank settlements, the resolution highlights global frustration with Netanyahu’s government. Arab states, including the UAE, warned that Israel’s actions "threaten the entire region’s stability" and may lead to suspending the Abraham Accords.