Palestinians call UN to tackle settlement issue

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki on Thursday said a draft resolution against Israeli settlement constructions will be submitted to the UN Security Council.

Malki told Xinhua that the consultations have been completed and the draft has been deposited in blue colour to Spain, which was the current chair of the UNSC.

"We have requested a special session to look into the draft resolution and we are now awaiting the response of the Council chairmanship to confirm the date," said the minister.

He expressed hope that the resolution would be adopted unanimously and overcome the veto for the first time, highlighting that the draft formation was based on the two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the US on Wednesday to veto the resolution to demanding a halt to Israeli settlement activities in Palestinian territory, according to the Israeli public radio.

Malki also said that several amendments were included in the latest draft based on the deliberations with the Security Council member states, and particularly with the permanent members who enjoy the veto power.

The issue of settlement is considered one of the most complicated issues between Palestinians and Israel.

--IANS

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