File Photo of Egypt's flag raised outside Legislative Assembly of Ontario building in Canada. Photo: Egypt's State Information Service
In a statement on Friday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the declaration emerged from the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Resolution of the Palestinian Issue, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia at UN headquarters in New York last July.
“The resolution’s support by 142 states is conclusive evidence of the broad international endorsement of the legitimate Palestinian rights, foremost the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and to establish their independent state on the lines of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry stated.
It urged states that backed the resolution to “intensify efforts to implement the conference’s outcomes, in a manner that ensures the restoration of the peace process in the Middle East and puts an end to Israeli aggressive policies.”
The ministry said restoring peace requires urgent action on the ground, warning that this goal “will not be achieved except through intensive efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and to put an end to the blatant Israeli violations and its use of starvation and siege as a weapon to force the Palestinian people into displacement and leaving their land, something Egypt rejects under any label or pretext.”
The July conference brought together foreign ministers, diplomats, and UN officials to revive international consensus around the two-state solution.
Its outcome, the New York Declaration, called for “tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps” toward creating a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, while demanding an end to the Gaza war, the restoration of humanitarian access, and the launch of reconstruction planning.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the declaration on Friday by 142 votes to 10, with 12 abstentions.
The resolution reaffirmed that a peaceful settlement cannot be achieved without halting Israeli settlement expansion and upholding Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
Growing international recognition
Around 147 of the UN’s 193 member states now recognize the State of Palestine, and the number is expected to rise in the coming weeks.
France has pledged to formalize its recognition during the current UN session, with President Emmanuel Macron stating that the move is part of a broader effort to revive the peace process and strengthen Europe’s diplomatic role in the Middle East.
The UK has also said it is ready to extend recognition, though it has tied the move to conditions including a halt to settlement construction and Israeli steps towards a ceasefire and political dialogue.
Several other countries have announced plans this month, including Malta, Canada, and Belgium, with Brussels explicitly linking its decision to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need to preserve the two-state framework.
Australia and Finland have signalled they may follow suit later this month on the sidelines of the General Assembly, expanding the coalition beyond traditional supporters.
These moves build on recognitions in 2024 by Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, which have already tilted the balance in Europe toward formal acceptance of Palestinian statehood.
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