G
eneral Assembly calls Israeli presence in Syrian Golan ‘illegal,’ urges withdrawal to 1967 line; separate resolution reaffirms two-state solution and calls for end to occupation
The UN General Assembly on Tuesday adopted two significant resolutions addressing the decades-long Israeli occupation of Arab territories, declaring Israel’s continued control over the Syrian Golan Heights “illegal” and calling for an end to its occupation of Palestinian lands captured in 1967.
The twin votes, held during the 80th session of the General Assembly, underscored the deepening international concern over Israel’s expansion of settlements, ongoing military operations, and deteriorating humanitarian conditions across the region.
In the first vote, the General Assembly adopted a draft resolution penned by Egypt, which demanded that Israel withdraw fully from the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of June 4, 1967.
The resolution passed with 123 votes in favor, seven against and 41 abstentions, reaffirming longstanding UN positions that Israel’s effective annexation of the territory is unlawful under international law.
It declared the Israeli decision of Dec. 14, 1981 — which imposed Israeli laws, administration, and jurisdiction on the territory — “null and void and without any legal validity whatsoever.”
The text further determined that Israel’s continued occupation and de facto annexation of the Syrian Golan remains “a stumbling block to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.”
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, later extending domestic law to the territory in a move unrecognized by the UN and widely rejected by the international community. Syria has repeatedly called the area an integral part of its sovereign territory and demanded its full return.
Western diplomats noted that support for the resolution remains consistent with prior years, reflecting broad international consensus. The United States, Israel, and a handful of allies voted
In a separate vote earlier in the day, the General Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,” calling for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories captured in 1967 and reaffirming support for a two-state solution based on UN parameters.
The draft — co-sponsored by Djibouti, Jordan, Mauritania, Qatar, Senegal and Palestine — received 151 votes in favor, 11 against, and 11 abstentions, reflecting broader support than the Golan resolution.
The text reaffirms the UN’s historical responsibility for the question of Palestine and emphasizes the urgent need to uphold international law and UN Security Council resolutions in pursuit of peace. It calls on Israel to halt all settlement activities, cease unilateral measures altering the status of Jerusalem, and refrain from actions that undermine the prospects of a negotiated settlement.
The resolution also urges renewed, credible negotiations to achieve a just and lasting peace, while calling on all states to refrain from recognizing any changes to the 1967 borders — including with regard to Jerusalem — unless agreed upon by the parties.
The resolution highlights the worsening humanitarian situation facing Palestinians, urging UN member states to increase assistance to address what it describes as a “severe and escalating humanitarian crisis.”
According to UN agencies, millions of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza remain affected by movement restrictions, settlement expansion, renewed military operations and the collapse of essential services. Aid workers say the situation has deteriorated significantly in 2025.
The General Assembly called on donors to step up support to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and pressed for unimpeded humanitarian access across all occupied territories.
Israeli representatives dismissed both resolutions as politically motivated and one-sided, arguing that they ignore Israeli security concerns and complex realities on the ground. They accused the General Assembly of maintaining a “systematic bias” against Israel.
Palestinian officials, meanwhile, welcomed the strong vote totals, describing them as evidence of overwhelming international backing for Palestinian rights and the two-state solution.
Syrian diplomats praised the Golan resolution as an important reaffirmation of Syria’s sovereignty, calling Israel’s occupation a “grave and ongoing violation of international law.”
Arab states, several non-aligned countries, and many from Africa, Asia and Latin America also voiced support, stressing that the international community must ensure compliance with UN decisions.
The votes come as Israel faces mounting diplomatic pressure over settlement expansion and new legislation affecting land ownership, residency rights and security operations in occupied territories.
UN officials have repeatedly warned that expanding settlements, combined with rising settler violence and deteriorating governance structures in the West Bank, have pushed the two-state solution to a “breaking point.”
In the Syrian Golan, analysts say demographic shifts and infrastructure expansion have deepened Israel’s hold over the territory, complicating prospects for any future negotiations.
(Source: Anadolu Agency)
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