UN Overwhelmingly Endorses Declaration for Two-State Solution

On September 12, 2025, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to endorse a declaration that outlines concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution, which also condemns Hamas for its attacks on Israel, as well as Israel’s attacks on civilians in Gaza, was passed with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. The United States and Israel both opposed the resolution.

What the Declaration Says

• Two-State Solution: The declaration, the product of an international conference hosted in July by Saudi Arabia and France, calls for “tangible, time-bound, and irreversible steps” toward establishing a viable two-state solution.
• Condemnations:
  • It condemns the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which sparked the current war in Gaza.
  • It likewise condemns Israeli actions in Gaza, particularly those affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, including siege, starvation, and broader humanitarian effects. Reuters
• Call to End the War: The declaration asserts that the war in Gaza “must end now” and supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under the mandate of the U.N. Security Council.

The Vote

• Results:
  • For: 142 countries
  • Against: 10 countries (including the U.S., Israel, Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga)
  • Abstentions: 12 states
• Support/Opposition:
  • Backed by Gulf Arab states.
  • Opposed by the U.S. and Israel, which criticized the resolution as one-sided. The U.S. described it as a “misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt” that would undermine diplomatic efforts and supposedly benefit Hamas. Israel said the declaration was more “theater than peace efforts.”

The U.N. General Assembly’s endorsement is a strong demonstration of international will, expressing consensus on condemning violence by both Hamas and Israel, and calling for clear progress toward a two‐state solution. Whether this declaration leads to meaningful change will depend on follow-through: diplomatic engagement, enforcement mechanisms, and the willingness of all parties to compromise.