In September 2024, Palestine was seated among United Nations “member states” for the first time.

The vast majority of countries in the United Nations voted to accept Palestine as a full member state, but the U.S. vetoed that measure and blocked it from becoming official. For now, Palestine cannot vote on resolutions but has some rights in the UN General Assembly, such as introducing proposals.

The UN General Assembly just overwhelmingly voted to support the Palestinian representatives' new resolution, which lays out what the United Nations and its International Court of Justice have already made clear. In July, the UN’s International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end “as rapidly as possible.”

Israel is an occupying power. Under international law, Israel’s government is obligated to end its occupation, including withdrawing all military forces from Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. International law also affirms that Palestinians have a right to self-determination in their homeland.

Withdrawing troops is part of the permanent ceasefire we’ve been demanding, and it’s an important step toward achieving Palestinians’ right to self-determination. 124 member countries in the UN voted to support this resolution, but the United States voted against it.