Palestinian president to visit UN in next two weeks

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will visit the UN within two weeks to address the Security Council on his rejection of the new US Mideast plan, his ambassador to the body has said.

At that time a draft resolution will be submitted to the council, Riyad Mansour told reporters on Wednesday, without specifying a date for the visit.

He said Abbas would take part in an Arab League meeting on Saturday and an African Union summit in February.

Before coming to the UN the president might also meet with European Union officials, Mansour said.

The diplomat expressed hope that by then agreement would have been reached on a draft resolution.

Palestinians have rejected the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan unveiled Tuesday by President Donald Trump.

Among other concessions to Israel, it would give the Jewish state control over Jerusalem as its "undivided" capital and let Israel annex the settlements it has built on Palestinian land in the West Bank.