Palestine welcomes the UN decision affirming its people's right to self-determination.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed on Wednesday the United Nations' adoption of its annual resolution affirming "the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination," which includes independence, return, and living freely in their homeland, free from Israeli occupation.

The ministry stated in a statement that the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is "firm and not subject to any negotiations or conditions." It pointed out that the resolution aligns with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which emphasized the illegality of the occupation and the necessity of ending it immediately and without delay.

The Foreign Ministry added that the importance of the resolution increases in light of "the escalation of occupation crimes, including forced displacement, expansion of settlements, and annexation of land," alongside what the Gaza Strip is experiencing in terms of "genocide and widespread destruction."

It noted that the resolution is considered "an important pillar" that enhances the Palestinian diplomatic effort to protect national rights. The Foreign Ministry called on the countries that voted in favor of the resolution to "translate their positions into practical steps that enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and end the occupation, in commitment to international law and the ruling of the International Court of Justice."

On Tuesday evening, the United Nations adopted its annual resolution in its committee specialized in human rights and humanitarian affairs under the General Assembly. The resolution affirms "the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, independence, and living in their homeland free from Israeli occupation, as an inalienable right, not subject to any conditions or reservations, and not negotiable or subject to compromise."

The resolution also confirmed "what the International Court of Justice stated in its advisory opinion issued in July 2024 regarding the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the demand to end it without any delay, as it constitutes an obstacle to the ability of the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and the independence of their state."

164 countries voted in favor of the resolution, including Canada, Australia, all EU countries, and the majority of South American, Asian, and African countries, while only 7 countries voted against it: Israel, the United States, Argentina, Paraguay, Micronesia, Nauru, and Papua New Guinea, with 9 countries abstaining from voting.

On October 8, 2023, the Israeli genocide in Gaza began and stopped after two years under a ceasefire agreement, having resulted in more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths and over 170,000 injuries, most of whom were children and women, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around 70 billion dollars.

Simultaneously with the genocide, the West Bank witnessed an unprecedented escalation in attacks by settlers and the Israeli army against Palestinians, resulting in more than 1,076 deaths and approximately 10,700 injuries, and the arrest of more than 20,500 during the two years of the genocide in Gaza.