Morocco joins majority at UN backing New York Declaration on two-state solution

Morocco voted alongside 142 UN member states on Friday to adopt the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, a resolution aimed at reviving prospects for Palestinian statehood while explicitly condemning Hamas.

 Only 10 countries opposed the motion,  among them Israel, the United States, Paraguay, Argentina and Hungary,  while 12 abstained, including South Sudan, Guatemala and Ethiopia.

The text, drafted after the July Paris–Riyadh conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, sets out time-bound steps toward a two-state framework, urges collective action to end the Gaza war, and demands the deployment of a temporary UN-mandated stabilization mission to protect civilians and transfer security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.

 It condemns Israeli strikes on civilians, infrastructure and the blockade of Gaza, while at the same time censuring Hamas for the October 7, 2023 attacks, calling for the release of hostages and the group’s disarmament.

Supporters of the resolution, including Morocco, frame it as a necessary diplomatic push to rescue the two-state vision in the face of mounting obstacles: two years of devastating war in Gaza, the acceleration of Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, and declarations by Israeli officials of intent to annex occupied territory. 

By explicitly rejecting Hamas’s role in Gaza governance, the declaration seeks to consolidate Palestinian representation under the Palestinian Authority as the sole interlocutor for future statehood.

UN diplomats noted that the adoption offers countries backing Palestine “a shield against Israeli criticism,” as it dispels accusations of tacit endorsement of Hamas.

The resolution also builds momentum ahead of the September 22 UN summit in New York, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi officials, where several states are expected to formalize recognition of Palestine. Around three-quarters of UN members already recognize the state declared in 1988 by the Palestinian leadership in exile.

For Morocco, the vote underscores its consistent support for the Palestinian cause within multilateral forums, while aligning with broader Arab and international consensus on reviving a two-state settlement as the only viable path toward a lasting resolution of the conflict.