India backs UN resolution on two-state solution for Palestine

India has voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that endorses the New York Declaration, which calls for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue and the implementation of a two-state solution.

The resolution, introduced by France, was adopted with overwhelming support. A total of 142 countries voted in favour, while 10, including Israel, the US, Argentina and Hungary, opposed it. Twelve nations abstained.

India’s vote marks a shift from its previous stance, coming after three abstentions on broader Palestine-related resolutions at the UN, which included condemnations of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Those abstentions occurred in October 2023, September 2024 and June 2025.

This decision follows recent Israeli actions that drew India’s criticism, including a strike in Qatar, which India viewed as an expansion of the conflict beyond Palestine, and the severe bombardment of Gaza, where more than 67,000 people have been killed since the war began in October 2023.

India has also voted three times in favour of UN resolutions related to the conflict. In October 2023, supporting a Canadian amendment condemning Hamas; in December 2023, backing an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; and in May 2024, supporting enhanced participation for Palestine in the UN system.

PM Narendra Modi condemned an Israeli air strike last week in Qatar, where a major US defence base is located and conveyed India’s deep concern to Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. Modi reiterated India’s support for resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy, opposing escalation and terrorism in all forms.

The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organised by France and Saudi Arabia. It urges Israel’s leadership to commit publicly to a two-state framework, envisioning a sovereign and viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The declaration emphasises that implementing the two-state solution is essential for a just and lasting settlement, offering a better future for both peoples and the region. French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont described it as a “single roadmap” toward a two-state solution, involving an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. It also calls for Hamas’ disarmament and exclusion from governance, normalisation between Israel and Arab states and collective security guarantees.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the resolution as a “one-sided declaration” and a “hollow gesture,” arguing that it benefited Hamas. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, however, stressed that the two-state solution remained central to West Asia peace.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19, included a three-phase plan for exchanging hostages and prisoners. However, Israel broke the ceasefire in March, launching airstrikes in response to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and extend the truce.

The conflict has intensified since then. Gaza, a densely populated coastal strip of 140 square miles that is home to 2.3 million people and has been under blockade for over 15 years, has suffered extensive casualties. Since October 7, 2023, the war has claimed over 66,700 lives -- 64,739 Palestinians and 1,983 Israelis.