United Nations: India has voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution reaffirming the rights of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, while calling on Israel to cease their exploitation and damage.
The 193-member UN General Assembly voted on Wednesday in favour of the draft 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'. Uruguay proposed the resolution.
India joined 150 other UN member states in supporting the resolution. Seven countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against it, while 11 abstained.
The resolution reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and 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".
The resolution also stated 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 Palestinians of their natural resources.
It called for full compliance with the legal obligations affirmed in the International Court of Justice's July 2004 advisory opinion and relevant UN resolutions.
The General Assembly further called on Israel to comply with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and immediately end policies and measures aimed at altering the character and status of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
It also called on Israel to halt actions that harm the environment, including those carried out by Israeli settlers, and the dumping of waste materials in the occupied Palestinian territory and the occupied Syrian Golan.
The resolution also urged Israel to stop destroying vital infrastructure, including water pipelines, sewage networks and electricity networks. It called for an end to the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian homes, civilian infrastructure, agricultural land and water wells.
It stressed the urgent need to advance reconstruction and development projects, including in the Gaza Strip, and called for support for the efforts required to carry them out.