UNSC to Vote on Draft Resolution to End Israeli Settlement Policy Thursday

The UN Security Council vote on the draft resolution, demanding that Israel stop building settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, will take place at 20:00 GMT on Thursday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The draft resolution, circulated by Egypt, states that Israel should "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."

According to the draft, the settlements have "no legal validity" and violate international law.

Before the vote, Israel urged the United States not allow the UN Security Council to adopt this document.

The US should veto the anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council on Thursday.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) December 22, 2016

​Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last year stressed the need for urgent adoption of the UN draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements. The United States vetoed a similar resolution in the UN Security Council in 2011.

In early December, it was announced that the Arab countries had completed work on a draft resolution condemning the Israeli settlement activities as illegal.

Over 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to United Nations figures. The settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations, and West Bank territory is considered occupied territory by the International Court of Justice. The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

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