In a historic move that has reverberated across diplomatic circles and ignited renewed debate about the future of the Middle East, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on September 12, 2025, to endorse the so-called "New York Declaration"—a bold, phased plan aimed at finally resolving the nearly 80-year-old Israel-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution. The resolution, backed by France and Saudi Arabia and already endorsed by the Arab League and 17 member states, passed with 142 votes in favor, 10 against—including Israel and the United States—and 12 abstentions. The vote comes at a moment of heightened violence and mounting international pressure, with both sides locked in a deadly stalemate and the world searching for a way forward.
The New York Declaration is the product of a high-level international conference held in July at the United Nations Headquarters, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. According to AP, the declaration lays out a "single roadmap to deliver the two-State solution," as French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont described it to the Assembly. The plan calls for immediate and tangible steps: an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages held there, and the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. It goes further by demanding the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries, and collective security guarantees for both peoples.
The timing of the vote was significant. Just hours before the Assembly convened, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood, declaring, “There will be no Palestinian state,” during the signing of a controversial agreement to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. This move, seen by many as a direct challenge to the international community’s efforts, came as Israel continued its military campaign in Gaza and the West Bank, with dozens killed in new airstrikes and reports of ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
Netanyahu’s defiant stance was echoed by Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon, who dismissed the resolution as “theater,” adding, “This one-sided declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this Assembly’s credibility.” According to Al Jazeera, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein went further, calling the resolution “disgraceful” and a “political circus detached from reality,” criticizing it for not explicitly labeling Hamas a terrorist organization. “The resolution does not advance a solution of peace, on the contrary, it encourages Hamas to continue the war,” Marmorstein wrote in a post on X.
On the other side, Palestinian leaders and much of the international community welcomed the declaration as a long-overdue step. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, described the vote as reflecting “the yearning of almost everyone, the international community, to open the door for the option of peace.” The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the “actionable plan” and called for “activating all mechanisms to end the Israeli colonial occupation” and “achieve the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
The New York Declaration is notable for its directness. It demands that Hamas, the militant group governing Gaza, “free all hostages” and “end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State.” The document also calls for a temporary international stabilization mission under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority, and provide security guarantees for both Palestine and Israel—including monitoring of any ceasefire and future peace agreement.
Importantly, the declaration condemns the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths—mainly Israeli civilians—and the taking of roughly 250 hostages, of which 48 remain held and about 20 are believed to be alive. This explicit condemnation, as reported by DW, marks a rare moment of consensus among Arab nations regarding the actions of Hamas. At the same time, the declaration strongly criticizes Israel’s military operations in Gaza, condemning attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the ongoing siege and resulting humanitarian catastrophe. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict, though these figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
As the Assembly voted, violence on the ground showed no sign of abating. On September 12 alone, at least 59 people were reported killed in Gaza, with the Israeli army stating it had completed five waves of airstrikes targeting more than 500 sites in Gaza City in an effort to dismantle Hamas infrastructure. Israeli military operations also extended to neighboring countries, with strikes reported in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, and Qatar, further escalating regional tensions. The UN Security Council condemned an Israeli strike in Doha that killed five members of Hamas during mediation talks, drawing harsh words from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who accused Israel of deliberately derailing peace efforts.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, stood firmly against the resolution. U.S. Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus called the measure “yet another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt that undermines serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict,” warning, “Make no mistake, this resolution is a gift to Hamas.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to visit Israel ahead of the upcoming summit, vowing to fight what he called “anti-Israel actions including unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism.”
This historic vote comes ahead of a major summit in New York on September 22, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, where French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders are expected to formally recognize the Palestinian state. Several European countries, including France, Norway, Spain, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, are reportedly preparing to join the more than 145 nations that already recognize Palestine. As Al Jazeera noted, this marks a significant shift among European nations, many of which had previously hesitated under U.S. and Israeli pressure.
The New York Declaration urges all countries to recognize the state of Palestine, calling this “an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-state solution.” Without naming Israel directly, the document warns that “illegal unilateral actions are posing an existential threat to the realization of the independent state of Palestine.” The roadmap envisions the Palestinian Authority governing all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee established immediately after a ceasefire in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres summed up the stakes succinctly: “The central question for Middle East peace is implementation of the two-state solution, where two independent, sovereign, democratic States—Israel and Palestine—live side-by-side in peace and security.”
As world leaders prepare to gather for the annual General Assembly on September 22, the fate of the two-state solution hangs in the balance. With violence continuing on the ground and diplomatic lines hardening, the New York Declaration may represent the international community’s most concerted effort in years to break the deadlock—and perhaps, just perhaps, offer a glimmer of hope for peace.