The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly voted to endorse a declaration outlining “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of a meeting of world leaders.

The seven-page declaration is the result of an international conference at the UN in July — hosted by Saudi Arabia and France — on the decades-long conflict.

The United States and Israel boycotted the event.

The resolution was approved by a large majority: 142 countries voted in favour, 10 opposed and 12 abstained, according to UN records.

The declaration urges an immediate end to the fighting in Gaza and calls for a coordinated global effort to achieve a just, peaceful and durable settlement through implementation of the two-state framework.

It also demands the release of all Palestinian prisoners and calls on Hamas to disarm, relinquish its control of Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority as part of steps to enable the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Arab and international backing

France and Saudi Arabia jointly presented the declaration, which was earlier endorsed by the Arab League.

Some 17 UN member states, including several Arab nations, have signed the declaration, signalling broad regional support for its roadmap and the push for collective international action to end the Gaza war.

The declaration includes specific language condemning the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and stresses the need for immediate measures to protect civilians and restore humanitarian access in Gaza.

The text frames the two-state solution as the only viable path to resolving the long-running conflict and calls for swift, verifiable steps to translate that vision into reality.

Timing and diplomatic context

Delegates said the vote was timed ahead of a forthcoming meeting of world leaders, underlining the declaration’s role as a diplomatic blueprint for those discussions.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, France and other diplomatic actors who helped shape the July conference framed the declaration as a push towards concrete implementation rather than symbolic language.