The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted five resolutions on Friday concerning the situation in Palestine. The resolutions address various aspects of Palestinian rights and well-being, securing significant support from member states.
The first resolution, focused on providing assistance to Palestinian refugees, garnered the support of 151 nations. A second resolution, pertaining to the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), secured 145 votes in favor. This resolution includes the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate for an additional three years.
Furthermore, a resolution addressing the property rights of Palestinian refugees and the revenues derived from those properties was backed by 157 countries. Another resolution, concerning the work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, received 88 affirmative votes.
Finally, a resolution specifically addressing Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, was supported by 146 nations.
Following the vote, the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, expressed gratitude to the member states for their overwhelming support. He highlighted the growing international empathy, particularly concerning the issue of Palestinian refugees, amidst ongoing conflict.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the General Assembly’s decision to renew the agency’s mandate for three years. He stated that the vote reflects broad global solidarity with Palestinian refugees and acknowledges the international community’s responsibility to support their humanitarian and human development needs until a just and lasting solution to their decades-long plight is achieved.
Lazzarini emphasized that this vote must translate into a tangible commitment to provide the necessary resources to ensure the fulfillment of UNRWA’s mandate.
