The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday on a draft resolution demanding that Israel, the occupying power, end its "illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory" within 12 months, based on an advisory opinion requested by the General Assembly from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israel's policies and practices in Palestine.

The resolution was adopted by a majority of 124 votes, while 43 countries abstained from voting, and 14 countries opposed the resolution.

The State of Palestine submitted the draft resolution for the first time during the tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly on Palestine, after obtaining additional privileges under a previous resolution of the General Assembly. The draft resolution was also supported by a number of countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, Algeria, Djibouti, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania.

The resolution demands that "Israel end - without delay - its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory within a maximum period of 12 months.

It also demands that Israel comply without delay with all its obligations under international law, including as stipulated by the International Court of Justice, and that Israel, inter alia: withdraw all its military forces from the occupied Palestinian territory, end its illegal policies and practices, including the immediate cessation of all new settlement activities, the evacuation of all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory, dismantle parts of the racist separation and expansion wall constructed by Israel, return the lands and other immovable property, and all assets seized since the beginning of its occupation in 1967, allow all Palestinians who were displaced during the occupation to return to their original places of residence, and not hinder the Palestinian people from exercising their right to self-determination, including their right to establish an independent and sovereign State over the entire occupied Palestinian territory.

In the resolution, the General Assembly calls upon all States to comply with their obligations under international law. It decides to convene an international conference during the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly to implement the United Nations resolutions on the question of Palestine and the two-State solution to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The General Assembly also calls for the convening of a conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to consider measures necessary for the implementation of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

The resolution requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, within 3 months, a report on the implementation of this resolution.

The United Nations General Assembly had requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which was issued on July 19 and concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal, that it is obligated to end this illegal presence as soon as possible, to immediately cease all new settlement activities and evacuate all settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory, and to make reparation for the damage caused to all natural or legal persons concerned in the occupied Palestinian territory, that all states are obligated not to recognize the legality of the situation resulting from this illegal presence, that international organizations, including the United Nations, are obligated not to recognize the legality of the situation resulting from this presence, and that the United Nations, especially the General Assembly, which requested the advisory opinion, and the Security Council, must consider ways and measures to end Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as soon as possible.