Mansour represents Palestine at the United Nations as a permanent observer (Reuters)
The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said on Monday that the Palestinian Authority wants the United Nations Security Council to vote this month on full membership in the international organization, a step that could be blocked by the United States, an ally of Israel.
Mansour - who has permanent observer status at the United Nations - announced the Palestinian plans as the war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip approaches the completion of its sixth month and the expansion of Israel’s settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
Mansour told Reuters that the goal is for the Security Council to take a decision at a ministerial meeting scheduled to be held on April 18 regarding the Middle East, but a date for voting on it has not yet been set.
He stated that the Palestinian application submitted in 2011 for full membership is still pending, because the Council - consisting of 15 members - has not taken an official decision.
He added that the goal is to put the request to a vote in the Security Council this month.
In addition to efforts to end the war, global pressure is increasing to resume mediation efforts to reach a two-state solution to establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Since October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip that has left tens of thousands of victims, most of them children and women, a humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure and property, which led to Israel being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide.
Source: Reuters