United Nations, November 11: India has voted in favour of a draft resolution reaffirming the permanent sovereignty of the people of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.
The resolution, titled “Permanent Sovereignty of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab Population in the Occupied Syrian Golan over Their Natural Resources”, was introduced by Uruguay and adopted by the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Of the 193 UN member states, 151, including India, voted in favour of the resolution. Seven countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against it, while 11 abstained.
The resolution reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land, water and energy resources.
It calls on Israel to stop the exploitation, damage, depletion and endangerment of natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan.
The resolution states that the wall and settlements constructed by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, are contrary to international law. It says these measures have severely deprived the Palestinian people of their natural resources.
It also calls on Israel to fully comply with the legal obligations set out in the advisory opinion delivered by the International Court of Justice in July 2004 and relevant UN resolutions.
The resolution urges Israel to immediately and completely cease all policies and measures aimed at altering the character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in accordance with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
It further calls for an end to the destruction or confiscation of Palestinian homes, civilian infrastructure, agricultural land and water wells, as well as damage to water pipelines, sewage systems and electricity networks.
The resolution also calls for an end to all activities that harm the environment, including actions by Israeli settlers, and the dumping of waste in the occupied territories.
Emphasising the urgent need to advance reconstruction and development projects in the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, the resolution calls for support for the necessary measures in this regard.
