The UN General Assembly today called for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within the next 12 months and for sanctions to be imposed on Israel, in a non-binding resolution already denounced by the Israeli government.

The resolution that was under discussion since Tuesday among the 193 members of the Organization, was a consequence of the opinion of the International Criminal Court which in July ruled that “Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal” and Israel is obliged to “end it (…) as soon as possible”. The ICC has been examining the Israeli occupation of these territories since 1967, at the request of the General Assembly.

The resolution was approved with 124 votes in favor, 14 against (Israel, USA, Hungary, Czech Republic, Argentina…) and 43 abstentions. In this text “required” Israel to “end without delay its unlawful presence” in the Palestinian territories “no later than 12 months after the adoption of this resolution».

In the draft resolution, a deadline of only 6 months was given.

The General Assembly also “demands” the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories, an end to new settlements, the return of seized land and property, and talks about the possibility of the return of displaced Palestinians.

The resolution calls on UN member states to take steps to stop imports of products from Jewish settlements and the delivery of weapons to Israel if there are “reasonable” suspicions that they could be used in the Palestinian territories.

And, also, to impose sanctions on persons who participate “in maintaining Israel’s unlawful presence” in the occupied territories.

From the floor of the General Assembly on Tuesday, Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour called on member states to “choose the right side of history” and support the resolution, the first to be submitted on behalf of the recently-recent observer state of Palestine earned that right.

“How many more Palestinians will have to be killed before a change is finally made to stop this barbarity?Mansour asked, a few days before the annual meeting of the General Assembly, where the war in Gaza is expected to dominate the discussions of the dozens of heads of state and government who will attend.

Although General Assembly resolutions are not binding, Israel was quick to denounce this text.

“It is a shameful decision that supports the Palestinian Authority’s diplomatic terrorism“, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon said immediately after the vote.

“Those who contribute to this circus are not mere spectators” but “partners. Every vote for this circus fuels violence and emboldens those who reject peaceDanon said on Tuesday.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry in its statement emphasized that the decision “it encourages terrorism and harms the chances for peace».

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield also denounced “the inflammatory wording” of the text which does not mention that “Hamas, a terrorist organization, exercises power in Gaza” and stressed that “the discriminatory resolution” does not advance the two-state solution.