Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Welcomes the Adoption by the UN General Assembly of Two Resolutions on the Palestinian People’s Right to Self-Determination and Permanent Sovereignty over T
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, on Monday, 15 December 2025, of two resolutions. The first resolution reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them their right to self-determination and to establish their independent State on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority reflecting broad international consensus on the justice of the Palestinian cause, with 164 votes in favor, 8 votes against, and 9 abstentions.
The second resolution, entitled “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources,” was also adopted by a large majority. A total of 156 States voted in favor, 8 voted against, and 10 abstained.
The resolution affirms the permanent and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people over their natural resources, calls upon Israel to cease exploiting these resources, and affirms the right of the Palestinian people to seek compensation for Israel’s exploitation thereof. It further stresses a number of key issues, including that Israel’s construction of settlements, the wall, and other practices constitute acts that are harmful to the Palestinian environment. The resolution also reaffirms the call contained in UN Security Council resolution 2334 for States to distinguish, in their dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The Ministry underscores that the adoption of these resolutions embodies a clear international position rejecting Israel’s colonial and settlement policies, which obstruct the Palestinian people’s ability to exercise their right to self-determination and to live in freedom and dignity in their independent State. These resolutions are of particular significance as they draw upon the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which affirmed the illegality of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory and the obligation to bring it to an end as soon as possible, given its grave consequences for the core of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their sovereignty over their land, as guaranteed under the UN Charter and international law.
In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commends the broad international support for these two resolutions, stressing that this renewed and overwhelming consensus conveys a clear and unequivocal message rejecting Israel’s unlawful practices, and reaffirming firm and unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to self-determination and sovereignty, as well as the imperative of ending the Israeli occupation as the root cause of the conflict. The Ministry further affirms that these resolutions constitute a vital additional pillar in the sustained Palestinian diplomatic effort to safeguard national rights, and a clear and compelling call upon the international community to fully assume its legal, political, and moral responsibilities to bring the occupation to an end and to enable the Palestinian people to realize their freedom and independence, in full accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.