The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday called for Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories and pushed for the creation of a Palestinian state, intensifying international pressure amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a resolution passed by a 157-8 vote, with the United States and Israel among those voting no and seven abstentions, the Assembly expressed “unwavering support, in accordance with international law, for the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine.”
The resolution emphasized that the two states should be “living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borders.” It called for the “realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and the right to their independent state.”
Meanwhile, tensions are escalating on multiple fronts. On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Shebaa, resulting in the death of one person. Lebanese media described the strike as a violation of a newly reached ceasefire with Hezbollah.
In response, the Lebanese army deployed additional soldiers to the city of Tyre and surrounding areas as part of a broader redeployment effort in southern Lebanon, particularly in border villages, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The Lebanese Defense Ministry also announced a call for new recruits to join combat units in the armed forces.
Israel warned it would expand its military operations to include targets linked to the Lebanese state if the ceasefire with Hezbollah collapses. The warning followed Hezbollah launching two mortars into a disputed border area on Monday, accusing Israel of repeated violations of the truce. Israel retaliated with airstrikes on more than 20 locations across Lebanon.
In the ongoing conflict with Hamas, Israel and the Palestinian group have held on-off negotiations since October 2023. After an initial hostage release in November, little progress has been made, with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock.
On Monday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that the hostages must be freed by the time he is sworn in, warning that those responsible would be “hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied history of the United States of America.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several of his ministers publicly thanked Trump for his strong stance. However, senior Hamas official Basem Naim accused Netanyahu of sabotaging efforts to secure a deal that would involve exchanging the hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
The international community watches with concern as the situation continues to deteriorate, with fears that the conflicts could further destabilize the region.
(With input from agencies)
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UN pushes for Palestinian state, Israel launches new strike on Lebanon
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