In a historic vote at the United Nations General Assembly, a resolution backing the Palestinian bid for full UN membership was overwhelmingly passed with 143 in favor, 9 against, and 25 abstentions. The resolution calls for the UN Security Council to grant full membership to Palestine and enhance its current observer status with new rights and privileges.
The vote sparked a fiery denunciation from Israel, with their envoy dramatically shredding a copy of the UN charter in protest. Despite not granting voting rights, the resolution allows Palestine to sit among other states in the General Assembly, introduce proposals, and speak on Middle Eastern matters.
However, the resolution falls short of a 1990 US law benchmark that bans funding of the UN for granting the same standing to the PLO as member states. Israel has called on the US to cut funding for the UN due to the resolution, leading some Republican senators to introduce legislation to do so.
In response to the vote, Israel’s security cabinet approved a “measured expansion” of forces in Rafah, despite objections from the US and threats of further arms supply restrictions. Intense clashes between the Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinian militants have led to more than 110,000 people fleeing the area, cutting off aid supplies and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of an impending humanitarian disaster in Rafah, describing the situation as being on a knife’s edge. As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the world watches anxiously for the next steps in this ongoing conflict. Celebrity Beauty Buzz will continue to follow this developing story.
