jordan pulse -

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council is considering a draft resolution calling on Israel to "immediately and completely stop" all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

During the session, the members will hear a briefing from the UN coordinator for the peace process, Tor Wiensland, as the council is scheduled to issue a presidential statement regarding settlements in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, instead of voting on an Arab draft resolution.

The presidential statement calls on "Israel to stop settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the illegality of Israel's establishment of settlements in the occupied land since 1967," and affirms that all settlements are illegal according to international law.

It condemns all annexation attempts, including the decisions and actions taken by Israel regarding the settlements.

Most world powers consider the settlements that Israel is building on land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to be illegal. Israel rejects this and cites biblical, historical and political ties to the West Bank, as well as security interests.

International decisions are issued by voting and require 9 affirmative votes without rejecting any of the permanent members, while presidential statements are issued with the unanimity and full approval of the 15 members.

Diplomats told Reuters that the 15-member council is likely to vote on Monday on the text, which was drawn up by the UAE in coordination with the Palestinians.

Last week, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu granted retroactive licenses for nine settlement sites in the occupied West Bank, and announced the construction of a large number of new homes in existing settlements, prompting US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to say he was "deeply disturbed."

The Israeli decision was condemned by Paris, London, Berlin and Rome, as well as Washington.

And in December 2016, the Security Council called on Israel to stop building settlements. And he adopted a decision after the administration of then US President Barack Obama abstained from voting, in a move that reversed its practices that protect Israel from United Nations procedures.

The US and Israeli missions to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the draft resolution.

- Washington 'not satisfied' -

On Thursday, the United States expressed its dissatisfaction with a draft resolution in the UN Security Council calling for an "immediate cessation of Israeli settlement activities" in the occupied Palestinian territories, in a text that Israel strongly condemned.

"The United States strongly opposes these unilateral measures, which increase tensions and damage trust between the two parties," said Karen Jean-Pierre, a spokeswoman for the US presidency.

But at the same time, the US State Department made it clear that the United States, which has veto power in the Security Council, does not support the proposed draft resolution in the Security Council.

"We believe that the introduction of this resolution is not helpful in strengthening the conditions necessary to move forward with the negotiations for a two-state solution, just as we believe that the news that came from Israel on Sunday (about the legislation of the nine outposts) is not useful," said Assistant State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

"settlements are illegal"

However, the US State Department spokesman did not announce whether the United States intends to veto the draft resolution. "I will not make speculations or assumptions about the process," he said.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the conflict between the two parties, but it is not certain at this stage that the text will be put to a vote during the session, according to diplomats.

For its part, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the draft resolution.

The ministry said in a statement to France Press that this is another attempt by the Palestinians to go to international forums, instead of dealing with the wave of operations.

The Israelis denounced the United Nations General Assembly's vote in December on a resolution requesting the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and took retaliatory measures against the Palestinian Authority.

In a letter he sent to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on the international community to condemn the recent attacks on Israeli civilians in the strongest terms and in an unequivocal manner, accusing the Palestinian Authority of "praising" and "supporting" these operations.

In December 2016, for the first time since 1979, the UN Security Council called on Israel to stop building settlements in the Palestinian territories, and the resolution was adopted after the United States refrained from using its veto.

On that day, the United States abstained from participating in the vote a few weeks before the transfer of power from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, after it had always supported Israel on this sensitive issue.

Last Monday, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, conveyed his "serious concern" about the Israeli decision issued on Sunday, recalling that "all settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a major obstacle to reaching peace."