The United Nations General Assembly is voting to grant membership to Palestine on Friday, The Independent reports.
The draft resolution was put forward by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as chair of the Arab Group this month and included a call to grant the Palestinians new “rights and privileges” at the UN. Palestine has been an observer state since 2012.
However, late Thursday night, the US stated the Biden administration opposed the draft resolution, which still required approval from the UN Security Council before the state of Palestine could gain full membership in the General Assembly.
Under the UN Charter, potential members must be considered “peace-loving.” Instead of such language, the draft resolution “determines” that Palestine is eligible for membership.
On April 18, the US vetoed a widely supported council resolution that would have made Palestine a full member. The UK and Switzerland abstained, while the remaining 12 council members voted in favour.
Unlike the Security Council, the 193-member General Assembly has no veto power. The resolution is expected to be approved by an overwhelming majority, three diplomats say.
Israel targets Gaza, negotiators leave Cairo
Israel launched new strikes on Gaza Strip on Friday after negotiators left Cairo without reaching an agreement. The artillery hits struck Rafah on the territory’s southern border with Egypt, while witnesses reported air strikes and fighting in Gaza City located further north.
Hamas reported that its delegation left for Qatar.
The negotiating delegation left Cairo heading to Doha. In practice, [Israel] rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it on several central issues.
The Palestinian group announced on Monday that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators. According to Hamas, the agreement included the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the return of Palestinians displaced by the war, and the exchange of hostages held by militants for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli custody in order to achieve a “permanent ceasefire.”
At that time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the proposal “far from Israel’s essential demands,” adding that the government would still send negotiators to Cairo.
