The United Nations General Assembly on Friday voted in favor of a resolution that would grant Palestine new “rights and privileges” and has called for the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to join the U.N.
What Happened: The resolution, which was sponsored by Arab and Palestinian representatives, was approved by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions, the Associated Press reports. The United States, along with Israel and seven other countries, voted against the resolution.
While the resolution gives Palestine additional rights and privileges, it keeps its status as a non-member observer state, lacking voting rights in the General Assembly and its conferences.
The U.S. has stated its intention to prevent Palestinian full membership and statehood until significant issues such as security, borders and the status of Jerusalem are settled through direct talks with Israel.
The resolution encourages the Security Council to favorably reconsider Palestine’s request for membership. This push for full Palestinian U.N. membership coincides with the ongoing war in Gaza, bringing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into sharp focus.
Why It Matters: The U.N. resolution comes at a critical juncture in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite the mounting death toll in Gaza and global support for Palestinian membership, the U.S. has maintained its stance on the issue.
In an upcoming report on Israeli use of U.S. weapons in the war, the Biden administration will not conclude that Israel violated the terms of the U.S. weapons agreement, despite the ongoing conflict, the AP reports, citing three unnamed sources.
This decision has drawn criticism from some quarters, with the U.S. being accused of not holding Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have come to a halt, with both parties failing to reach an agreement. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, claims that Israel has rejected its proposals, including a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced individuals, and a prisoner exchange, ABC News reports.
“Israel’s rejection of the mediators’ proposal, through the amendments it made to it, has brought things back to square one,” Hamas stated on Friday.
The breakdown of negotiations is a major obstacle in resolving the seven-month-long Israel-Hamas conflict.
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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