US Vetoes Palestinian Statehood Resolution in UN Security Council

The UNSC resolution demanding Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian land was vetoed by the United States.

UNITED NATIONS, December 31 (Sputnik) —The United States has vetoed the resolution on Palestinian statehood, which demands Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian land, in the UN Security Council, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday.

Eight UN Security Council members, including Russia, supported the document, while the United States and Australia voted "No". The United Kingdom, Lithuania, Nigeria, South Korea and Rwanda abstained from voting.

According to the Charter of the United Nations, at least nine votes of UN Security Council members are needed in order for a resolution to be adopted.

The resolution was initially presented to the UN Security Council on December 17. However, after sharp criticism from a number of Palestinian factions, including Hamas, for not properly discussing the document, it was corrected.

According to the amended version, East Jerusalem should become the capital of the independent Palestine, while Israel must withdraw its forces from the West Bank and remove its settlements constructed after the Six-Day war in 1967 by the end of 2017.

On Monday, US Department of State spokesperson Jeff Rathke said the document was not constructive and harmful for a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.