The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted on Friday to back the “New York Declaration,” a resolution which seeks to breathe new life into the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine — without the involvement of Hamas.

The text was adopted by 142 votes in favour, 10 against — including Israel and key ally the United States — and 12 abstentions. It rebukes Hamas and demands that it surrender its weapons.

Although Israel has criticised UN bodies for nearly two years over their failure to rebuke Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, the declaration, presented by France and Saudi Arabia, leaves no ambiguity.

Formally called the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the text states that “Hamas must free all hostages” and that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on October 7”.

It also calls for “collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the two-state solution”.

The declaration, which was already endorsed by the Arab League and co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries, also goes further than rebuking Hamas, seeking to fully excise it from a role in Gaza.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the declaration states.

The vote precedes an upcoming UN summit co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris on September 22 in New York, in which French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to formally recognise the Palestinian state.

‘Shield’ against criticism

“The fact that the General Assembly is finally backing a text that condemns Hamas directly is significant” even if “Israelis will say it is far too little, far too late”, Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.

“Now at least states supporting the Palestinians can rebuff Israeli accusations that they implicitly condone Hamas,” he said, adding that it “offers a shield against Israeli criticism”.

In addition to Macron, several other leaders have announced their intent to formally recognise the Palestinian state during the UN summit.

The gestures are seen as a means of increasing pressure on Israel to end the fighting in Gaza.

The New York Declaration includes discussion of a “deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission” to the battered region under the mandate of the UN Security Council, aiming to support the Palestinian civilian population and facilitate security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.

Around three-quarters of the 193 UN member states recognise the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.

However, after two years of fighting have ravaged the Gaza Strip, in addition to expanded Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the stated desire by Israeli officials to annex the territory, fears have been growing that the existence of an independent Palestinian state will soon become impossible.

Israel’s devastating retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,656 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israel has been facing growing international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by its offensive with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and experts already declaring its actions in Gaza as a “genocide”, which Tel Aviv rejects.

“We are going to fulfil our promise that there will be no Palestinian state,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Thursday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, may be prevented from visiting New York for the UN summit after US authorities said they would deny him a visa.

The Government of Singapore on Friday pledged a seed money of USD 50,000 in humanitarian assistance for the people of Pakistan, affected by devastating floods. “The Singapore Government will contribute US$ 50,000 as seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross (SRC)’s public fundraising efforts towards the humanitarian crisis, caused by floods in Pakistan,” Singapore Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The contribution by the Singapore Government will supplement the SRC’s pledge of S$50,000 to support the immediate needs of affected communities, it added. The Singapore foreign ministry also conveyed deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the floods.

Pakistan Embassy in Singapore said in a statement that the contribution by the Singapore government reflected Singapore’s solidarity with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time.

It will support ongoing relief and recovery efforts to assist families and communities impacted by the floods, according to a press release by Pakistan embassy in Singapore. The Singapore Red Cross launched its fund-raising appeal last week to support those in Pakistan impacted by the mid-August monsoon floods. It also committed US$ 39,000 to support humanitarian efforts in Pakistan and the contribution by the Singapore government will supplement this pledge.

• Investigators recover bolt-action rifle believed used in killing.
• Security footage shows suspect in black top with eagle emblem.
• Charlie Kirk to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  

A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university has been taken into custody, US President Donald Trump said on Friday, ending an intense manhunt that followed what Trump described as a “heinous assassination.”

Kirk’s killer has eluded police and federal agents for more than 24 hours after Wednesday’s shooting, in which a sniper fired a single gunshot that killed Kirk during an appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem.

“I think we have him,” Trump told Fox News in an interview, adding that a person who knows the suspect had turned him in.

Previously, US investigators said they had found the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used to kill Kirk and released images of a person of interest.

The FBI had circulated grainy images apparently taken from security cameras showing a “person of interest” wearing a black top, black sunglasses and a dark baseball cap. The long-sleeved top appears to have been emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle flying across a US flag.

Kirk, an author, podcast host and close ally of Trump, helped build the Republican Party’s support among younger voters.

FBI and state officials said the killer arrived on the campus a few minutes before the start of the event, a debate led by Kirk titled “Prove Me Wrong” in front of 3,000 people at Utah Valley, about 40 miles (65 km) south of Salt Lake City.

Security-camera videos showed a person going up stairwells to gain access to a roof before firing at Kirk, the officials said at a press briefing. Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck. Audience members fled in panic.

The shooter jumped off the roof and fled into an adjoining neighborhood, said Robert Bohls, an FBI special agent in charge.

Investigators found a “high-powered, bolt-action” rifle in a nearby wooded area, and were examining that along with palm prints and footprints for clues.

On Thursday, with classes canceled, the roof of the building on the otherwise deserted campus and the nearby woods were strung with yellow tape as investigators scoured them for evidence.

The shooter appeared to be of college age and “blended in well” on the campus, Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said at the briefing.

Kirk — the co-founder and president of the conservative student group Turning Point USA — appeared at Utah Valley on Wednesday as part of a planned 15-event “American Comeback Tour” of US college campuses.

His killing stirred outrage and denunciations of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments.

Trump said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.

Kirk, who was married and the father of two young children, was celebrated by Republicans as a charismatic advocate for right-wing policies on race, gender, immigration, religion and gun regulation.

He frequently engaged with his critics from the far left to the far right, often inviting members of his audiences to debate him live.