UN member states endorsed the ICJ’s findings and pressed Israel to meet its legal obligations as an occupying power.
The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed a resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stop attacking UN facilities, and comply with international law in line with its obligations as an occupying power.
The vote on Friday followed October’s advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which outlined Israel’s responsibilities under both the UN Charter and humanitarian law.
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Israel has only allowed into Gaza a fraction of the humanitarian aid deliveries agreed to as part of the United States-brokered ceasefire that came into effect in October.
The UN resolution, tabled by Norway alongside more than a dozen other states, secured support from 139 countries.
Only 12 voted against, including Israel and the US, while 19 abstained.
Introducing the draft, Norway’s Permanent Representative Merete Fjeld Brattested warned that “2024 was among the most violent years in three decades, 2025 has followed suit,” adding that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory remained “a particular point in mind”.
“Civilians are paying the highest price. Respect for humanitarian principles is eroding. The most fundamental tenets of humanitarian law are under pressure,” she said, emphasising that the ICJ’s advisory proceedings were crucial for clarifying state obligations.
Brattested noted that member states had sought legal clarity “on fundamental issues pertaining to the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Palestine”.
She pointed to recent attacks that underscored the urgency of the Court’s findings, including UN chief Antonio Guterres’s condemnation of Israel’s “unauthorised entry” into UNRWA’s Sheikh Jarrah compound. “As stated by the secretary-general, this is in clear violation of Israel’s obligations to respect the inviolability of United Nations premises,” she said.
US rejects vote
Speaking before the vote, US envoy Jeff Bartos rejected the resolution, claiming it “exemplifies how even following President [Donald] Trump’s landmark peace agreement and the historic passage of Security Council resolution 2803, the General Assembly continues its decades-long pattern of unfairly targeting Israel.”
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, meanwhile, welcomed the outcome, saying it offered “a strong endorsement” of the ICJ’s finding that allegations of Hamas infiltration inside the agency “are not substantiated”, nor are claims that UNRWA lacks neutrality.
“This vote is an important sign of support for UNRWA from the overwhelming majority of the international community,” he said.
Palestinian National Council Speaker Rouhi Fattouh also praised the adoption, saying the wide margin reflected “a firm international position supporting UNRWA and renewing recognition of its legal mandate and its key role in protecting Palestinian refugees”.
He warned of “a dangerous escalation and increase in the level of occupation crimes and ethnic cleansing, and a worsening of the humanitarian situation inside the occupied Palestinian territory.”
