The United Nations Security Council committee has encountered difficulties in forming a unified recommendation regarding the Palestinian Authority’s bid for full U.N. membership.
While the committee report refrained from a unanimous stance, the Palestinian Authority is poised to pursue a Security Council vote on the matter, potentially as soon as Thursday, according to diplomatic sources.
Algeria, a member of the Security Council, circulated a draft resolution late on Tuesday in support of the Palestinian bid.
Achieving full U.N. membership would effectively acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian state. Presently, the Palestinians hold the status of a non-member observer state, a recognition granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012.
However, the path to full membership entails approval from the Security Council, where the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, holds veto power, followed by endorsement from at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.
The United States reiterated its stance that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state should occur through direct negotiations between the involved parties rather than through U.N. channels.
The Security Council has long advocated for a two-state solution, endorsing the vision of Israel and Palestine coexisting within secure and recognized borders.
Palestinian aspirations center on statehood encompassing the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
Despite decades of diplomatic efforts, little progress has been made toward realizing Palestinian statehood since the Oslo Accords of the early 1990s.
The Palestinian pursuit for full U.N. membership coincides with ongoing conflict dynamics, including the recent Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
