Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 2 December 2009  [without reference to a Main Committee (A/64/L.23 and Add.1)]  64/19.  Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine        The General Assembly,    Recalling its relevant resolutions, including those adopted at its tenth  emergency special session,     Recalling also its resolution 58/292 of 6 May 2004,     Recalling further relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions  242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, 1397 (2002) of  12 March 2002, 1515 (2003) of 19 November 2003, 1544 (2004) of 19 May 2004  and 1850 (2008) of 16 December 2008,     Welcoming the affirmation by the Security Council of the vision of a region  where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and  recognized borders,    Noting with concern that it has been more than sixty years since the adoption  of its resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and forty-two years since the  occupation of Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, in 1967,     Having considered the report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to  the request made in its resolution 63/29 of 26 November 2008, 0F1    Reaffirming the permanent responsibility of the United Nations with regard to  the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects in  accordance with international law,     Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International  Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the  Occupied Palestinian Territory, 1F 2  and recalling also its resolutions ES-10/15 of  20 July 2004 and ES-10/17 of 15 December 2006,   _______________  1 A/64/351-S/2009/464.  2 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1; see also Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied  Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004, p. 136.   A/RES/64/19  2    Convinced that achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement of the  question of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is imperative for the  attainment of comprehensive and lasting peace and stability in the Middle East,     Aware that the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples is  among the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,     Affirming the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by  war,     Recalling its resolution 2625 (XXV) of 24 October 1970,     Reaffirming the illegality of the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory  occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem,    Stressing the detrimental impact of Israeli settlement policies, decisions and  activities on efforts to resume the peace process and achieve peace in the Middle  East,     Reaffirming the illegality of Israeli actions aimed at changing the status of  Jerusalem, including measures such as the so-called E-l plan and all other unilateral  measures aimed at altering the character, status and demographic composition of the  city and of the Territory as a whole,     Reaffirming also that the construction by Israel, the occupying Power, of a  wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem,  and its associated regime are contrary to international law,    Expressing deep concern about the continuing Israeli policy of closures and  severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, including medical and  humanitarian personnel and goods, via the imposition of prolonged closures and  severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade,  crossing closures, checkpoints and a permit regime throughout the Occupied  Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the consequent negative impact  on the socio-economic situation of the Palestinian people, which remains that of a  dire humanitarian crisis, as well as on efforts aimed at rehabilitating and developing  the damaged Palestinian economy and on the contiguity of the Territory,     Recalling the mutual recognition between the Government of the State of  Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the  Palestinian people, 2F3 and the need for full compliance with the agreements concluded  between the two sides,     Recalling also the endorsement by the Security Council, in resolution  1515 (2003), of the Quartet road map to a permanent two-State solution to the  Israeli-Palestinian conflict 3F4 and the call in Council resolution 1850 (2008) for the  parties to fulfil their obligations under the road map, as affirmed in the  Israeli-Palestinian Joint Understanding reached at the international conference held in  Annapolis, United States of America, on 27 November 2007, 4F5 and to refrain from  any steps that could undermine confidence or prejudice the outcome of negotiations,  _______________  3 See A/48/486-S/26560, annex.  4 S/2003/529, annex.  5 Available from http://unispal.un.org.   A/RES/64/19  3    Noting the Israeli withdrawal in 2005 from the Gaza Strip and parts of the  northern West Bank and the dismantlement of the settlements therein as a step  towards the implementation of the road map,     Recalling the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Council of the League of  Arab States at its fourteenth session, held in Beirut on 27 and 28 March 2002, 5F6    Expressing support for the agreed principles for bilateral negotiations, as  affirmed by the parties at the Annapolis conference, aimed at concluding a peace  treaty resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues, without exception,  for the achievement of a just, lasting and peaceful settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and ultimately of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole for the  realization of a comprehensive peace in the Middle East,    Expressing support also for the convening of an international conference in  Moscow, as envisioned by the Security Council in resolution 1850 (2008), for the  advancement and acceleration of a resumed peace process,    Noting the important contribution to the peace process of the United Nations  Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative  of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian  Authority, including within the framework of the activities of the Quartet,    Welcoming the reconvening of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the  Coordination of the International Assistance to Palestinians, under the chairmanship  of Norway, at United Nations Headquarters on 22 September 2009, affirming the  importance of continued follow-up and fulfilment of pledges made at the  International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Economy for the  Reconstruction of Gaza, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 2 March 2009, for the  provision of emergency assistance and support for reconstruction and economic  recovery in the Gaza Strip and alleviation of the socio-economic and humanitarian  crisis being faced by the Palestinian people, and acknowledging the contribution of  the Palestinian-European Mechanism for the Management of Socio-Economic Aid  of the European Commission in this regard,     Recognizing the efforts being undertaken by the Palestinian Authority, with  international support, to rebuild, reform and strengthen its damaged institutions,  emphasizing the need to preserve and develop the Palestinian institutions and  infrastructure, and welcoming in this regard the Palestinian Authority’s plan for  constructing the institutions of a Palestinian State within a twenty-four-month  period as a demonstration of its serious commitment to an independent State that  provides opportunity, justice and security for the Palestinian people and is a  responsible neighbour to all States in the region,    Welcoming the efforts and progress made in the security sector by the  Palestinian Authority, calling upon the parties to continue cooperation that benefits  both Palestinians and Israelis, in particular by promoting security and building  confidence, and expressing the hope that such progress will be extended to all major  population centres,    Reiterating its concern over the negative developments that have continued to  occur in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, including the  large number of deaths and injuries, mostly among Palestinian civilians, the acts of  _______________  6 A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.   A/RES/64/19  4  violence and brutality committed against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers in  the West Bank, the widespread destruction of public and private Palestinian property  and infrastructure, the internal displacement of civilians and the serious  deterioration of the socio-economic and humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian  people,    Expressing grave concern, in particular, over the crisis in the Gaza Strip as a  result of the continuing prolonged Israeli closures and severe economic and  movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade and the military  operations in the Gaza Strip between December 2008 and January 2009, which  caused extensive loss of life and injury, particularly among Palestinian civilians,  including children and women, widespread damage and destruction to Palestinian  homes, properties, vital infrastructure, public institutions, including hospitals and  schools, and United Nations facilities, and internal displacement of civilians,    Stressing the need for the full implementation by all parties of Security  Council resolution 1860 (2009) of 8 January 2009 and General Assembly  resolution ES-10/18 of 16 January 2009,     Expressing concern over continuing military actions in the Occupied  Palestinian Territory, including raids and arrest campaigns, and over the continued  imposition of hundreds of checkpoints and obstacles to movement in and around  Palestinian population centres by the Israeli occupying forces, and emphasizing in  this regard the need for the implementation by both sides of the Sharm el-Sheikh  understandings,     Emphasizing the importance of the safety, protection and well-being of all  civilians in the whole Middle East region, and condemning all acts of violence and  terror against civilians on both sides,     Expressing concern over the unlawful takeover of Palestinian Authority  institutions in the Gaza Strip in June 2007, and calling for the restoration of the  situation to that which existed prior to June 2007 and for the continuation of the  serious efforts being exerted by Egypt, the League of Arab States and other  concerned parties for the promotion of dialogue towards reconciliation and the  restoration of Palestinian national unity,    Stressing the urgent need for sustained and active international involvement,  including by the Quartet, to support both parties in resuming, advancing and  accelerating the peace process negotiations for the achievement of a just, lasting and  comprehensive peace settlement, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, the  road map and the Arab Peace Initiative,     Acknowledging the efforts being undertaken by civil society to promote a  peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine,     Recalling the findings by the International Court of Justice, in its advisory  opinion, including on the urgent necessity for the United Nations as a whole to  redouble its efforts to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which continues to pose  a threat to international peace and security, to a speedy conclusion, thereby  establishing a just and lasting peace in the region,6F7  _______________  7  See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1, advisory opinion, para. 161; see also Legal Consequences of the  Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion, I.C.J. Reports 2004,  p. 136.   A/RES/64/19  5    Affirming once again the right of all States in the region to live in peace within  secure and internationally recognized borders,     1.  Reaffirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question  of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, in all its aspects, and of  intensifying all efforts towards that end;     2.  Also reaffirms its full support for the Middle East peace process, based  on the relevant United Nations resolutions, the terms of reference of the Madrid  Conference, including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative  adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States at its fourteenth session 0H6 and  the Quartet road map to a permanent two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian  conflict, 1H4 and for the existing agreements between the Israeli and Palestinian sides,  stresses the necessity for the establishment of a comprehensive, just and lasting  peace in the Middle East, and welcomes in this regard the ongoing efforts of the  Quartet and of the League of Arab States;     3.  Encourages continued serious regional and international efforts to follow  up and promote the Arab Peace Initiative, including by the Ministerial Committee  formed at the Riyadh summit in March 2007;     4.  Urges the parties to undertake, with the support of the Quartet and the  international community, immediate and concrete steps in follow-up to the  Israeli-Palestinian Joint Understanding reached at the international conference held in  Annapolis, United States of America, on 27 November 2007, 2H5 including through the  resumption of active and serious bilateral negotiations;    5.  Encourages, in this regard, the convening of an international conference  in Moscow, as envisioned by the Security Council in resolution 1850 (2008), for the  advancement and acceleration of a resumed peace process;     6.  Calls upon both parties to act on their previous agreements and  obligations, in particular adherence to the road map, irrespective of reciprocity, in  order to create the conditions necessary for the resumption of negotiations in the  near term;    7.  Calls upon the parties themselves, with the support of the Quartet and  other interested parties, to exert all efforts necessary to halt the deterioration of the  situation and to reverse all unilateral and unlawful measures taken on the ground  since 28 September 2000;    8.  Underscores the need for the parties to take confidence-building  measures aimed at improving the situation on the ground, promoting stability and  fostering the peace process, including the need for the further release of prisoners;     9.  Stresses the need for a speedy end to the reoccupation of Palestinian  population centres, inter alia, by easing movement and access, including through the  removal of checkpoints and other obstructions to movement, and the need for  respect and preservation of the territorial unity, contiguity and integrity of all of the  Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem;    10. Also stresses the need for an immediate and complete cessation of all acts  of violence, including military attacks, destruction and acts of terror;     11. Reiterates its demand for the full implementation of Security Council  resolution 1860 (2009);    12. Reiterates the need for the full implementation by both parties of the  Agreement on Movement and Access and of the Agreed Principles for the Rafah   A/RES/64/19  6  Crossing, of 15 November 2005, and the need, specifically, to allow for the  sustained opening of all crossings into and out of the Gaza Strip for humanitarian  supplies, movement and access, as well as for commercial flows and all necessary  construction materials, which are essential for alleviating the dire humanitarian  crisis, improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people and promoting the  recovery of the Palestinian economy;    13. Stresses, in this regard, the urgent necessity for the advancement of  reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, including through the completion of numerous  suspended projects managed by the United Nations, according to the proposal of the  Secretary-General, and the commencement of United Nations–led civilian  reconstruction activities;    14. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to comply strictly with its  obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to  cease all of its measures that are contrary to international law and unilateral actions  in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, that are aimed at  altering the character, status and demographic composition of the Territory,  including via the de facto annexation of land, and thus at prejudging the final  outcome of peace negotiations;     15. Reiterates its demand for the complete cessation of all Israeli settlement  activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the  occupied Syrian Golan, and calls for the full implementation of the relevant Security  Council resolutions;    16. Calls for the cessation of all provocations, including by Israeli settlers, in  East Jerusalem, including in and around religious sites;     17. Demands, accordingly, that Israel, the occupying Power, comply with its  legal obligations under international law, as mentioned in the advisory opinion  rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice 3H2 and as demanded in  General Assembly resolutions ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003 and ES-10/15, and,  inter alia, that it immediately cease its construction of the wall in the Occupied  Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and calls upon all States Members of  the United Nations to comply with their legal obligations, as mentioned in the  advisory opinion;     18. Reaffirms its commitment, in accordance with international law, to the  two-State solution of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security  within recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borders;     19. Stresses the need for:     (a)  The withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since  1967, including East Jerusalem;     (b)  The realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,  primarily the right to self-determination and the right to their independent State;     20. Also stresses the need for a just resolution of the problem of Palestine  refugees in conformity with its resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948;     21. Calls upon the parties to resume and accelerate direct peace negotiations  towards the conclusion of a final peaceful settlement on the basis of relevant United  Nations resolutions, especially of the Security Council, the terms of reference of the  Madrid Conference, the road map and the Arab Peace Initiative;    A/RES/64/19  7    22. Urges Member States to expedite the provision of economic,  humanitarian and technical assistance to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian  Authority during this critical period in order to help to alleviate the humanitarian  crisis being faced by the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, to  rehabilitate the Palestinian economy and infrastructure and to support the  rebuilding, restructuring and reform of Palestinian institutions and Palestinian  State-building efforts;    23. Encourages, in this regard, the continuing efforts of the Quartet’s Special  Representative, Tony Blair, to strengthen Palestinian institutions, promote  Palestinian economic development and mobilize international donor support;     24. Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts with the parties  concerned, and in consultation with the Security Council, towards the attainment of  a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the promotion of peace in the  region and to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session a report on  these efforts and on developments on this matter.