United Nations Security Council resolution 446, adopted on 22 March 1979, concerned the issue of Israeli settlements in the "Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem". This refers to the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip as well as the Syrian Golan Heights.
The International law bearing on issues of Arab–Israeli conflict, which became a major arena of regional and international tension since the birth of Israel in 1948, resulting in several disputes between a number of Arab countries and Israel.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 452, adopted on 20 July 1979, addressed the issue of the Israeli settlements in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights, specifically the illegality thereof. It states that "the policy of Israel in establishing settlements in the occupied Arab territories has no legal validity and constitutes a violation of the [Fourth] Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949" and "calls upon the Government and people of Israel to cease, on an urgent basis, the establishment, construction and planning of settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem."
Israeli-occupied territories are the lands that were captured and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967. While the term is currently applied to the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights, it has also been used to refer to areas that were formerly occupied by Israel, namely the Sinai Peninsula and southern Lebanon. Prior to Israel's victory in the Six-Day War, governance of the Palestinian territories was split between Egypt and Jordan, with the former having occupied the Gaza Strip and the latter having annexed the West Bank; the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights were under the sovereignty of Egypt and Syria, respectively. The first conjoined usage of the terms "occupied" and "territories" with regard to Israel was in United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, which was drafted in the aftermath of the Six-Day War and called for: "the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East" to be achieved by "the application of both the following principles: ... Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict ... Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."
United Nations Security Council resolution 605, adopted on 22 December 1987, after hearing from a representative from South Yemen and recalling the Geneva Conventions and Security Council resolutions 446 (1979), 465 (1980), 497 (1981) and 592 (1986), the Council condemned Israel for violating the human rights of the Palestinian people and in particular the opening of fire and killing of students in the first few weeks of the First Intifada.
The international community considers the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories illegal on one of two bases: that they are in violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, or that they are in breach of international declarations. The United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Court of Justice and the High Contracting Parties to the Convention have all affirmed that the Fourth Geneva Convention applies to the Israeli-occupied territories.
United Nations Security Council resolution 592, adopted on 8 December 1986, having considered a letter from the representative of Zimbabwe in his capacity as Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Council reaffirmed the Geneva Conventions and condemned the opening of fire at a student demonstration by the Israel Defense Forces, in which two students were killed at Birzeit University.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 608, adopted on 14 January 1988, after recalling Resolution 607 (1988), the Council expressed regret at Israel's decision to deport Palestinians in the occupied territories in defiance of the previous resolution on the topic.
United Nations Security Council resolution 636, adopted on 6 July 1989, after reaffirming resolutions 608 (1988) and 609 (1988) and learning of the deportation of eight Palestinians by Israel in the occupied territories on 29 June 1989, the council condemned the continued deportations and reaffirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention referring to the protection of civilians in times of war.
United Nations Security Council resolution 636, adopted on 30 August 1989, after reaffirming resolutions 608 (1988), 636 (1989) and learning of the deportation of five Palestinians by Israel in the occupied territories on 27 August 1989, the Council condemned the continued deportations and reaffirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention referring to the protection of civilians in times of war.
United Nations Security Council resolution 672, adopted unanimously on 12 October 1990, after reaffirming resolutions 476 (1980), 478 (1980), the Council expressed alarm at the 1990 Temple Mount riots in Jerusalem on 8 October 1990, resulting in the death of over 20 Palestinians and the injury of more than 150 people, including Palestinian civilians and worshippers.
United Nations Security Council resolution 681, adopted unanimously on 20 December 1990, after receiving the report from the Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar authorised in Resolution 672 (1990) regarding the riots at Temple Mount, the council expressed its concern over Israel's rejection of resolutions 672 (1990) and 673 (1990).
United Nations Security Council resolution 694, adopted unanimously on 24 May 1991, after reaffirming Resolution 681 (1990) and learning of the deportation of four Palestinians by Israel in the occupied territories on 18 May 1991, the Council condemned the deportations that were in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention referring to the protection of civilians in times of war.
United Nations Security Council resolution 726, adopted unanimously on 6 January 1992, after reaffirming 607 (1988), 608 (1988), 636 (1989), 641 (1989) and 694 (1991) and learning of the deportation of twelve Palestinians by Israel in the occupied territories, the Council condemned the deportations that were in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention referring to the protection of civilians in times of war.
United Nations Security Council resolution 799, adopted unanimously on 18 December 1992, after reaffirming resolutions 607 (1988), 608 (1990), 636 (1989), 641 (1989), 681 (1990), 694 (1991) and 726 (1992) and learning of the deportation of hundreds of Palestinians by Israel in the occupied territories on 17 December 1992, the Council condemned the deportations that were in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention referring to the protection of civilians in times of war.
United Nations Security Council resolution 1544, adopted on 19 May 2004, after recalling resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 1322 (2000), 1397 (2002), 1402 (2002), 1403 (2002), 1405 (2002), 1435 (2002) and 1515 (2003), the Council called on Israel to cease demolishing Palestinian homes.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 was adopted on 23 December 2016. It concerns the Israeli settlements in "Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem". The resolution passed in a 14–0 vote by members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Four members with United Nations Security Council veto power voted for the resolution, while the United States abstained.
