The Palestinian leadership at the United Nations has presented a draft resolution for a Security Council vote that sets a deadline for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories.
However, the Palestinian U.N. representative, Riyad Mansour, said late Wednesday that he would not press for a quick vote on the resolution, in order to allow for more discussion on the 15-member council.
The Palestinians would need the approval of nine of the 15 council members, but any of the five permanent members — Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States — can veto a resolution.
The United States has used the prospect of a veto to prevent previous council action related to Israel, but Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking Tuesday in London, said the United States had made "no determination" about any possible U.N. resolution regarding Palestinian statehood.
A day earlier, after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kerry said it was important to avoid anything that might be perceived as interfering with Israeli elections set for March.