The UN General Assembly passed a draft resolution in an emergency special session on Friday affirming Palestine’s eligibility for full UN membership and recommending the Security Council to consider it favorably. The resolution, which garnered substantial support, also urged the Security Council to revisit its previous decisions regarding Palestine’s membership status.

The General Assembly vote saw 143 countries in favor of recommending the Security Council reconsider Palestine’s bid for full membership. There were 9 nations opposing and 25 abstentions from the vote. Despite the strong international support, Palestine’s admission into the UN remains uncertain mainly due to a prior veto by the US in the Security Council on April 18.

Additionally, the General Assembly granted Palestine enhanced rights to participate in its sessions, signaling a positive shift towards recognizing and supporting Palestine’s sovereignty on a global platform.

In protest at the vote, Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan shredded a copy of the UN Charter, saying it “is being trampled on and thrown out the window,” calling the resolution “destructive” and the Palestinians “the exact opposite of peace loving”.

The key upgrades to Palestine’s status are set to take effect when the 79th session of the assembly opens in September 2024. These include a number of key changes, such as being seated alphabetically among member states, the right to make statements, propose and co-sponsor amendments, and request agenda items in UN sessions. These changes will significantly enhance Palestine’s participation capabilities within the UN framework.

This decision has reignited discussions on the effectiveness of the current UN system wherein a single country’s veto can override the collective decision of the international community. Advocates for reform argue that this system needs reevaluation to better reflect the democratic values the UN stands for.

The vote came just before IDF Spokesperson Avichay Adraee ordered civilians to evacuate from the eastern part of Rafah to an “expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi.” Rafah currently hosts 1.5 million displaced individuals. A second evacuation order was issued in northern Gaza saying. “You are in a dangerous combat zone.” This comes as the US issued a report last night which found it was “reasonable to assess” that American weapons supplied to Israelis had been used in a way that was inconsistent with human rights law or harm mitigation practices. However, the report could not conclude that US weapons had been used that way in connection with specific incidents.