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Palestine to hand over statehood bid to UN

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Palestinians are set to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this week which calls for the recognition of the Palestinian state and sets a two-year deadline for Israel to end its occupation, Press TV reports.

Palestinian officials decided to take their case to the UNSC next Wednesday following a meeting chaired by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

“This is a final decision. We will go to the UN Security Council next Wednesday. This is why the Palestinian leadership has decided to keep its meetings open-ended to follow up all developments,” said Jamil Shehada from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee.

“Also, there would be another meeting… between a high ranking Palestinian delegation and US Secretary of State John Kerry to make our point of view more clear… All we are seeking is to end the Israeli occupation,” he added.

The Palestinian statehood bid, however, is widely expected to be vetoed by the United States, a close ally of Israel.

“If we succeed in passing this bill, then Israel will be forced to accept it. But, if our bid is foiled due to what is known as the US’s rights to use a veto, then the Palestinian leadership would go for joining all the international treaties and agencies as well an all conventions, including the International Criminal Court,” said Fatah movement spokesman Ahmad Assaf.

On November 29, 2012, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status to non-member observer state.

Over the past months, the Palestinian national unity government has been pushing for a UN resolution that determines the borders of the future Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines. The Tel Aviv regime has expressed outcries over the motion.

Abbas has ruled out any negotiations with Israel over land, saying Palestinians won’t give up even an inch of their land.

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