United Nations, Nov 13: India has sided with 145 other nations in the UN General Assembly by voting in favor of a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activities in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The draft resolution, titled ‘Israeli settlements in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan,’ was approved by the UN General Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonisation Committee. The resolution condemns settlement activities and activities involving land confiscation, disruption of livelihoods, forced civilian transfers, and annexation of land. It reaffirms the illegality of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan, considering them obstacles to peace and development. The resolution demands an immediate and complete cessation of all Israeli settlement activities in these territories.
This vote follows India’s recent abstention in the UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict. In that instance, India, along with other countries, abstained, expressing concerns about violence and emphasizing the need for resolving differences through dialogue. The resolution on the ‘Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations’ was adopted with 120 nations in favor, 14 against, and 45 abstentions. India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel, highlighted the importance of addressing differences through dialogue and condemned terrorist attacks, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.
