UN General Assembly voting on call for end to Israeli occupation

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — UN member states were set to vote Wednesday on a push by the Palestinians to formally demand an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months.

The non-binding text, which Israel says will fuel violence if adopted, is based on an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) calling Israel's occupation since 1967 "unlawful."

"Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible," read the opinion, requested by the General Assembly.

In response, Arab countries called for a special session of the assembly just days before dozens of heads of state and government meet at the UN headquarters to address the kick off of this year's General Assembly session.

The draft resolution, due for a vote Wednesday at 11 a.m., "demands that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," and that this be done "no later than 12 months from the adoption."

The first draft text gave only six months.

"The idea is you want to use the pressure of the international community in the General Assembly and the pressure of the historic ruling by the ICJ to force Israel to change its behavior," said Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour Monday, acknowledging the draft resolution had "shocked many countries."

Israel firmly rejected the resolution on Tuesday.