Ambassador Robert Wood of the United States votes against the draft resolution on Palestine in the Security Council. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

The vote was 12 in favor, two abstentions, and one vote against. With the US’s veto, the Security Council was unable to pass a draft resolution recommending that the UN General Assembly hold a plenary session to vote on a proposal to increase Palestine's observer status to a full UN membership.

Following the announcement of the vote result, Palestinian representatives condemned the US veto. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, said the vast majority of the international community supports Palestine becoming an official member of the UN, noting that this is the fifth time the US has vetoed a Council resolution since the start of the current hostilities in Gaza.

Under the provisions of the UN Charter, any recommendation for admission must receive the affirmative vote of 9 of the 15 members of the Council, provided that none of the five permanent members have voted against the admission. The application must then be approved by two-thirds of the members of the UN General Assembly.