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The United States will vote against a United Nations Security Council resolution for Palestinian statehood in the UN, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Patel noted that sustainable peace can be achieved through a two-state solution, with Israel's security guaranteed. He said that the most expeditious path towards statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the support of the US and other partners who share this goal. In response to a media query about the US' vote on the UNSC resolution for Palestinian statehood, Patel said, "Since October 7, we have been pretty clear that sustainable peace in the region can only be achieved through a two-state solution with Israel's security guaranteed. It remains our view that the most expeditious path towards statehood for the Palestinian people is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with the support of the United States and other partners who share this goal." "We believe this approach can tangibly advance Palestinian goals in a meaningful and enduring way. We have also been very clear that consistently premature actions in New York, even with the best intentions, will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people," he added. He further said that there was not unanimity among the Security Council's 15 members that the Palestinian authority had met the criteria for membership. He said that the US has long called on Palestinian authority to undertake necessary reforms to establish the attributes of readiness for statehood. "Additionally, as reflected in the report of the admission committee, there was not unanimity among committee members as to whether the applicant met the criteria of membership set forth in Article 4 of the UN Charter; specifically, there are unresolved questions as to whether the applicant can meet criteria to be considered a state," Patel said. "We have long called on the Palestinian authority to undertake necessary reforms to establish the attributes of readiness for statehood and note that Hamas, a terrorist organisation, is currently exerting power and influence in Gaza, which would be an integral part of the envisioned state in this resolution. For that reason, the US is voting 'no' on this proposed Security Council resolution," he explained further. He further stated, "I will also just so note that, due to statutory requirements, such an admission of statehood would also require the United States to cease its funding to the United Nations. But, the US is committed to intensifying its engagement on this issue with the Palestinians and the rest of the region, not only to address the current crisis in Gaza but to advance a political settlement here that we think can create a path to Palestinian statehood and membership in the United Nations." The Palestinian Authority launched a bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations as part of efforts to legitimise its leadership amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, The Hill reported. The vote on the UNSC resolution for Palestinian statehood is expected to take place on Thursday evening. (ANI)
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