The UN General Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly adopted a draft resolution reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, including the right to an independent State of Palestine.

The draft resolution was approved by a strong majority of 164 member states, with eight countries voting against it, namely Israel, the US, Micronesia, Argentina, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Nauru.

Nine countries abstained: Ecuador, Togo, Tonga, Panama, Fiji, Cameroon, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, and South Sudan.

Adopted under the agenda item on the right of peoples to self-determination, the resolution reaffirmed long-standing UN positions recognizing the Palestinians' right to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.

The document recalled relevant UN resolutions and international legal instruments, including the UN Charter and international human rights covenants, underscoring that self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law.

It also urged all states, UN specialized agencies and organizations within the UN system to continue supporting and assisting the Palestinian people in the early realization of this right.

The resolution further stressed the need to respect the territorial unity, contiguity and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and reiterates support for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace based on international law and UN resolutions. (AA)

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