Abbas hails UN Jerusalem vote

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has hailed a United Nations vote that called on the United States to withdraw its unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

"The vote is a victory for Palestine. We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and at all international forums to put an end to this occupation and to establish our Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital," reported the Independent quoting Abbas' spokesperson Nabil Abu Rdainah as saying.

The one-page Egyptian draft resolution called on countries not to establish diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and also without any mention of the U.S. or Trump, expresses "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem".

On December 6, President Trump reversed decades of US policy, when he recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, prompting international criticism and sparking protests across the world.

Earlier, addressing a summit of the Organisation for Islamic Co-operation (OIC), Abbas stated that the Palestinians won't accept any American role in the Middle East peace process "from now on."

Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, which is home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites.

However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state.