On Friday, India voted for a UN General Assembly resolution expressing support for the 'New York Declaration,' which seeks to resolve the issue of Palestine by peaceful means and promote the two-state solution.
The resolution, presented by France, was passed by 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. The countries that voted against the move were the US, Israel, Argentina, and Hungary.
Officially entitled 'Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution', the document had been distributed at a high-level international conference last July at UN headquarters, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
According to the declaration, leaders "agreed to take collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution, and to build a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and all peoples of the region."
It appealed to the leadership of Israel to make a public commitment to the two-state solution, including acceptance of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state.
It also urged Israel to "immediately end violence and incitement against Palestinians, to immediately halt all settlement, land grabs and annexation activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, publicly renounce any annexation project or settlement policy, and put an end to settlers’ violence."
The declaration reaffirmed "support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination."
"Recent developments have highlighted, once again, and more than ever, the terrifying human toll and the grave implications for regional and international peace and security of the persistence of the Middle East conflict," it said.
"Absent decisive measures towards the two-state solution and robust international guarantees, the conflict will deepen and regional peace will remain elusive," it added.
Stressing that "the war in Gaza must end now," the declaration noted that "Gaza is an integral part of a Palestinian State and must be unified with the West Bank. There must be no occupation, siege, territorial reduction, or forced displacement."
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