UN General Assembly agrees to hold high-level conference on Israel-Palestine conflict

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling to organize a high-level conference to implement relevant resolutions and achieve a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The draft resolution, submitted by Senegal and co-sponsored by numerous countries, including Türkiye, was adopted with 157 votes in favor, eight against and seven abstentions.

Calling for the implementation of relevant UN resolutions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the resolution reaffirms the need for a two-state solution that will lead to "a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

It further calls for convening of a "High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution."

"The Conference will be held from 2 to 4 June 2025 in New York, preceded by a preparatory meeting, to be held in May 2025," it said.

It further calls for the adoption of a declaration at the end of the conference, emphasizing that this declaration should outline a roadmap for the peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the establishment of a two-state solution.

The resolution also calls for the resumption of negotiations on the final status issues of the Middle East peace process and a conference to be held in Moscow within this framework.

Urging both sides to fulfill their obligations under international law and previously signed agreements, the resolution emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, must comply with its obligations as outlined in the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

It demands Israel "to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible, to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to put an end to its unlawful acts."

Opposing demographic and territorial changes in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, the resolution further underlines that forcibly acquiring land is illegal and undermines the two-state solution.

It demands the immediate and complete cessation of all forms of violence, including military attacks, destruction and acts of terror.

Emphasizing the "serious humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which is catastrophic in the Gaza Strip," the resolution calls on all UN member states and the UN to continue providing economic, humanitarian and technical assistance to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority.

It also recalled the ICJ's advisory opinion and underlined that Israel is obligated to fully compensate for the destruction caused by its wrongful actions.