Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) adoption of a resolution put forth by Norway, requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israels obligations concerning the activities of the United Nations and other states in support of the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a statement issued on Saturday, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the resolution's adoption clearly reflects the international consensus on supporting and assisting the Palestinian people in facing challenges, affirming that it also supports the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to build their independent state, in a way that meets all their legitimate rights.
Albudaiwi reaffirmed the contents of the final statement of the 45th session of the GCC Supreme Council regarding the centrality of the Palestinian cause, the need to end the Israeli occupation, and affirming support for Palestinian sovereignty over all occupied Palestinian territories, calling on all states to finalize their recognition of the State of Palestine, and calling for urgent collective action to achieve a permanent solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and international legitimacy resolutions.
The UNGA's resolution passed with 137 votes in favor, 12 against, and 22 abstentions.
