The resolution approved at UN headquarters in New York asks that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) "urgently" weigh in on Israel's "prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory," which it said were violating the Palestinians' right to self-determination. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem—areas that Palestinians want for a state—in a 1967 Middle East war.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a statement that 98 countries supported the resolution, 52 abstained, and 17 voted against.
Al-Maliki welcomed the vote and described the resolution as a "diplomatic and legal breakthrough" that will "open a new era for holding Israel accountable for its war crimes."
The ICJ ruled in 2004 that the Israeli separation barrier was illegal, which Israel still disputes.
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