UN considers resolution demanding Israel ends unlawful Gaza presence

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 18(AP/AFP): The U.N. General Assembly is considering a Palestinian resolution Tuesday demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in Gaza and the occupied West Bank within a year and calling for sanctions and an arms embargo against the country.
It will be put to a vote in the 193-member assembly Wednesday as Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza approaches its first anniversary and as violence in the West Bank reaches new highs. The war was triggered by Hamas attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, urged member nations to reject the measure, describing it as "an attempt to destroy Israel through diplomatic terrorism" and that "ignores the truth, twists the facts and replaces reality with fiction."
"Instead of a resolution condemning the rape and massacre committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, we gather here to watch the Palestinians' U.N. circus - a circus where evil is righteous, war is peace, murder is justified and terror is applauded," he told the assembly. "This resolution doesn't move the region forward, it drags the region backward, delaying the hope for peace and advancement."
The resolution, if adopted by the General Assembly, would not be legally binding but the extent of its support would reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council.
It follows a ruling by the top United Nations court in July that said Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.
In the sweeping condemnation of Israel's rule over the lands it captured during the 1967 war, the International Court of Justice said Israel had no right to sovereignty over the territories and was violating international laws against acquiring the lands by force.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, opened the General Assembly meeting by saying Palestinians face an "existential threat." He claimed Israel has held them "in shackles" and that it's beyond time Israel's occupation ends and Palestinians return to their ancestral lands "in dignity, in peace and security."
Gaza truce best way to ensure
regional stability: Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday in Cairo that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza would be the best way to stop violence from spreading in the Middle East.
This marks Blinken's 10th trip to the region since the start of the war that was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
His visit aimed to salvage stalled negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States to end the conflict.
No other regional stops, including Israel, were on his itinerary.
"We discussed the importance of getting this deal across the finish line, something we'll continue to pursue with our Qatari counterparts," Blinken told journalists in a joint press conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
"We all know that a ceasefire is the best chance to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to address risks to regional stability," he added.
Following the meeting with Blinken, Sisi's office said the pair discussed "ways to intensify joint efforts between Egypt, the US and Qatar to make progress on ceasefire negotiations and the exchange of hostages and detainees".
Sisi also called for "decisive intervention to remove obstacles to the entry of huge amounts of aid" to Gaza and "ending Israeli violations in the West Bank", it said.
Violence has surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the war broke out in Gaza, with Israel conducting large-scale raids in recent weeks.