The Palestinians plan to present a draft resolution to the Security Council for a vote, potentially as early as this week, which would recommend their admission as a full member and recognize a Palestinian state.

However, the US, an ally of Israel, can veto the resolution in the Security Council, and full membership also requires approval from at least two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.

The Palestinians currently hold observer state status, which was granted by the General Assembly in 2012.

The US has reiterated that establishing a Palestinian state should come from direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, not through the UN.

The UN has previously endorsed the idea of two states living side by side within secure borders.

Palestinians aim for a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, captured by Israel in 1967.

Progress towards Palestinian statehood has been limited since the Oslo Accords in the 1990s.

The Palestinian push for UN membership comes during a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel's expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

The UN Security Council's committee on new member applications could not reach a unanimous decision on the Palestinian application due to differing views.

The report stated that the committee was unable to determine if the application met all the criteria for UN membership, which includes being peace-loving states that accept the UN Charter and its obligations.