UN is set to vote on a Palestinian resolution demanding end to Israeli occupation

On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly will vote on a Palestinian resolution calling for Israel to end its "unlawful presence" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year, withdraw its military forces, and evacuate all settlers.

The vote takes place in the 193-member assembly as Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza nears its one-year mark, and violence in the West Bank continues to escalate.

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour opened the assembly on Tuesday, stating that Palestinians face an "existential threat" and accusing Israel of keeping them "in shackles." 

Mansour also insisted that any nation believing the Palestinian people "will accept a life of servitude" or claiming peace can be achieved without a just solution is "not being realistic."

Israel’s UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, urged nations to reject the resolution, calling it "an attempt to destroy Israel through diplomatic terrorism" that overlooks Hamas’ actions and "distorts the truth, replacing reality with fiction."

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticised the resolution for having "a significant number of flaws," arguing it goes beyond the court’s ruling and fails to acknowledge Hamas as a terrorist group in control of Gaza, while not recognising Israel's right to self-defence.