The motion, adopted by 142 nations, calls for a two-state solution and condemns both Hamas attacks and Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, September 13 – India on Friday voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution.
The motion, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, was adopted with the support of 142 nations, while 10 voted against and 12 abstained. Among those opposing were Israel, the United States, Argentina, Hungary, Paraguay and a handful of Pacific island states.
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The declaration, first circulated at a high-level Paris conference in July, seeks to revive long-stalled peace negotiations. It condemns the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken, while also criticising Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza. The text cited tens of thousands of civilian deaths, the destruction of homes and infrastructure, and what it described as “siege and starvation” creating a worsening humanitarian emergency.
India voted in favour of the TWO STATE SOLUTION in the New York Resolution at the UN.
We must Appreciate India🇮🇳 for this courageous step for Peace.United Nation adopted Declaration by huge 142 numbering in fvr of INDEPENDENT PALESTINE STATE.
❌IRAN IRAQ & Tunisia Didn’t Vote. pic.twitter.com/xbNkLDCtT5
— Waqar Khan🦅 وقار خان (@WAKhan337) September 13, 2025
Key provisions of the seven-page document call on Israel to:
1) Explicitly commit to a two-state solution;
2) Halt settlement expansion and annexation activities in occupied territories;
3) End settler violence against Palestinians;
4) Recognise Gaza as an integral part of a future Palestinian state, unified with the West Bank and free from occupation, siege, or forced displacement.
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The resolution reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to self-determination, warning that without “decisive measures” and “robust international guarantees,” the conflict would deepen and regional peace remain elusive.
India’s support marks a notable shift from recent years. Between 2021 and 2024, New Delhi abstained on at least four UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, drawing criticism for not taking a clear stand. Friday’s vote signals stronger alignment with international calls for a negotiated settlement.
Israel and the United States strongly opposed the measure. Israel’s foreign ministry dismissed the General Assembly as a “political circus detached from reality” for failing to label Hamas a terrorist organisation. The U.S. mission to the UN described the declaration as “a gift to Hamas” and accused its backers of political grandstanding.
According to Gaza health authorities, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s military response began, a figure Israel disputes. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands, with aid agencies warning of famine-like conditions in parts of Gaza.
The vote comes ahead of a UN summit on September 22, where a push for broader recognition of Palestinian statehood is expected to gain momentum among European and Arab nations.
