US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said Washington will "unquestionably veto" a UN draft resolution calling for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
After initially deciding to delay action on the measure, the Security Council was expected to finally go ahead with the vote at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) on Friday.
Haley on Thursday called the text drafted by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countries as a "grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would only serve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the Israelis and Palestinians."
“There is not one single mention of Hamas in the resolution, when Hamas is chiefly responsible for the recent violence in Gaza. The text criticizes ‘excessive’ and ‘indiscriminate’ use of force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, when in fact, it is Hamas that fired 70 rockets indiscriminately into Israeli towns this week,” Haley wrote in a statement.
Haley had vehemently supported Israel at the United Nations after Israeli troops martyred more than 60 Palestinians and injured hundreds others at the Great Return March protests earlier this month.
At least 122 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli forces since the end of March.
