'UNSC to vote on Palestinian statehood bid by Monday'

The UN Security Council will vote on a draft resolution calling for the recognition of the Palestinian state by Monday, says Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Erekat told reporters that some revisions were made to the Jordanian-drafted text before sending it to the Security Council. He did not reveal the details of the amendments, Press TV reported Saturday.

The draft resolution, approved by the Arab League in September, sets 2016 as the year for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories.

The text is also expected to lay out a time-frame for negotiations on a final peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.

In the past few months, the Palestinian national unity government has been pushing for a UN resolution that determines the borders of a future Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines. Israel has expressed anger over the motion.

In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem Al-Quds and the Gaza Strip but withdrew from the enclave and laid siege to it in 2005.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem Al-Quds and the besieged Gaza Strip and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories.

In Nov 2012, the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine's status at the UN from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state" despite strong opposition from Israel and the US.

The upgrade allows the Palestinians to participate in debates at the UN General Assembly and improve their chances of joining UN agencies and the International Criminal Court where they could file complaints against Israel.