Wed Sep 18 01:09:17 UTC 2024: ## UN General Assembly Debates Palestinian Statehood, Condemns Israeli Occupation
The United Nations General Assembly resumed its emergency special session on Tuesday, focusing on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The State of Palestine presented a draft resolution demanding an end to the occupation within 12 months, garnering support from over two dozen nations.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent observer to the UN, emphasized the urgency of establishing a sovereign State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. He highlighted the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling condemning the Israeli occupation and urging the General Assembly to uphold its mandate.
“Delayed justice is denied justice,” stated Mansour, calling for swift action to address the Palestinian people’s pursuit of self-determination and security.
Israel’s representative, Danny Danon, vehemently denounced the draft resolution, calling it “diplomatic terrorism” and a politicized attempt to ignore the truth. He accused the resolution of overlooking the role of Hamas and pointed to the numerous past resolutions against Israel.
The General Assembly is expected to vote on the draft resolution on Wednesday.
The emergency session was convened in April 1997 and has been resumed multiple times, including following the recent Hamas attacks on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
The session has renewed focus on the urgency of addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with several speakers emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution and condemning the continuing occupation of Palestinian territories.
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