UN General Assembly approves resolution granting Palestine new rights

The US was among nine countries to oppose the measure

Interior of the chamber of the UN General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York (Alamy/PA)

The UN General Assembly has voted by a wide margin to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to favourably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.

The 193-member world body approved the Arab and Palestinian-sponsored resolution by a vote of 143-9 with 25 abstentions.

The United States vetoed a widely backed council resolution on April 18 that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent.

US deputy ambassador Robert Wood made clear on Thursday that the Biden administration opposed the assembly resolution.

The United States was among the nine countries voting against it, along with Israel.