The UN announced a High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine to be held at its headquarters from June 2 to 4, 2025, as the General Assembly emphasized that a two-state solution remains the "only path to lasting peace" in the Middle East. The announcement came as the Assembly adopted three key resolutions on Wednesday with broad international support.
In a decisive vote of 157 in favor and just eight against, the Assembly passed its main resolution calling for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question. The vote came as delegates pressed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and increased humanitarian aid deliveries ahead of winter.
"Peace and security will never be achieved through force," Assembly President Philemon Yang of Cameroon told the delegates during the session. Yang emphasized that denying Palestinian statehood "has only perpetuated cycles of violence and deepened despair."
The Assembly's actions included approving a measure supporting the Division for Palestinian Rights, which passed with 101 votes in favor, 27 against, and 42 abstentions. A third resolution regarding the Syrian Golan received 97 votes in favor, with eight countries including the US and United Kingdom voting against it.
Cheikh Niang, who chairs the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, condemned what he called indiscriminate military actions in Gaza and urged Israel to reverse its designation of UNRWA as a "terrorist organization."
Israel's delegate strongly rejected the Assembly's approach, saying the resolutions showed "reckless disregard for the truth." She criticized the UN for what she called an "entrenched anti-Israeli bias" and questioned why Hamas' actions on Oct. 7, 2023, remained "insufficiently addressed."
The US delegate opposed all three resolutions, arguing that "one-sided resolutions will not help advance a durable peace." He called instead for direct negotiations between the parties.
However, Syria's delegate criticized US vetoes in the Security Council as enabling continued regional tensions, while Jordan's representative blamed the international community's failure to confront what he called "Israeli arrogance."
