THE UN general assembly’s Wednesday night vote overwhelmingly demanded that Israel ends its “unlawful presence” in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) within 12 months.

There were 124 votes in favour and 14 against, including Israel and its closest ally the United States, along with 43 abstentions, including Britain.

The resolution demands that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the OPT … [in] no later than 12 months” and that it must “comply without delay with all its legal obligations under international law.”