Sri Lanka has welcomed the adoption of a United Nations General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and advancing the two-state solution.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism expressed appreciation to Saudi Arabia and France for their leadership in driving the initiative. Sri Lanka also reaffirmed its firm support for the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to statehood, in line with the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.
On Friday, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the resolution, with 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. The declaration outlines tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps towards a two-state solution. It was the outcome of an international conference held in July, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, which the United States and Israel boycotted.
The declaration condemns the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel, as well as Israel’s military actions in Gaza that have resulted in mass civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and what it describes as a humanitarian catastrophe. It also calls for an immediate end to the war and proposes the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under UN Security Council mandate.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the resolution signaled the international isolation of Hamas, noting that for the first time the UN had condemned the group’s crimes and called for its disarmament. The United States, however, described the vote as a misguided move that undermined diplomatic efforts, calling it a gift to Hamas. Israel also rejected the resolution as one-sided and accused the UN of advancing terrorism instead of peace.
The resolution was supported by all Gulf Arab states. Countries voting against included the United States, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and Tonga.
The October 7 Hamas attacks killed about 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and saw 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. Since then, more than 64,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
