The United States has blocked the Palestinian attempt to be recognized as a full member of the United Nations.
Twelve of the 15 Security Council members were in favor, with Britain and Switzerland abstaining, but the United States vetoed the motion.
The United States said it still strongly supports a two-state solution, but his vote was “a recognition that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.”
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it “unjust, unethical and unjustified.”
However, IsraelIsrael’s Foreign Minister Katz praised the United States for blocking the move.
The draft resolution recommended to the 193 members of the General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted as a member.”
US envoy to the UN, Robert Wood, quoted Hamascontinuous monitoring of Gaza as a key factor in blocking the movement.
The group is designated as a terrorist group by many governments, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, is currently a non-member observer state at the UN – a position granted in 2012.
Its candidacy for full membership must be approved by the Security Council and at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip; all territory taken by Israel in 1967.
The UN has long advocated a plan that would see the creation of a Palestinian state with secure, agreed borders alongside Israel.
Many see it as the best chance to end the decades of violence that preceded the current crisis. Israel-Hamas War.
However, hardliners in Israel’s right-wing government reject the idea of a Palestinian state.
Learn more:
What is the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians?
Analysis: US Won’t Approve UN Membership – Here’s Why
UN vote “disconnected from reality”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, told the meeting in New York that the resolution was “disconnected from the reality on the ground” and would “only cause destruction for years to come.” come and would harm any chance of future dialogue.”
However, Mr Abbas’s representative said it would give people hope “for a decent life within an independent state”.
Ziad Abu Amr said UN membership was “an important pillar for achieving peace in our region”.
He said the long-running conflict “goes beyond the borders of Palestine and Israel and affects other parts of the Middle East and around the world.”
Nearly 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza’s six-month-old war, according to Hamas-run health authorities, with no sign of an imminent ceasefire despite growing international pressure.
Israel says around 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack that sparked the war, while more than 100 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza.