India votes in favour of UN resolution reaffirming Palestinian rights over natural resources

United Nations: India has voted in favour of a UN General Assembly draft resolution that reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources and demands that Israel cease the exploitation and damage of these resources.

The 193-Member UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday in favour of the resolution ‘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’ proposed by Uruguay.

India voted in favour of the resolution along with 150 other UN Member States, while Israel and the US were among the seven nations that voted against the draft, which got 11 abstentions.

The resolution reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and of the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land, water and energy resources.

It demanded that Israel “cease the exploitation, damage, cause of loss or depletion and endangerment of the natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.

It stressed that the wall and settlements being constructed by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, are contrary to international law and seriously deprive the Palestinian people of their natural resources.

It also called for full compliance with the legal obligations affirmed in the July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and relevant UN resolutions.

The resolution called upon Israel to comply strictly with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and immediately and completely cease all policies and measures aimed at altering the character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

It further called upon Israel to halt all actions, including those perpetrated by Israeli settlers, that harm the environment, including the dumping of waste materials in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan.

It also called upon Israel to cease its destruction of vital infrastructure, including water pipelines, sewage networks and electricity networks, and to cease its demolition and confiscation of Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure, agricultural lands and water wells.

It also stressed the urgent need to advance reconstruction and development projects in this regard, including in the Gaza Strip, and called for support for the necessary efforts in this regard.