Israel's ally US sinks Palestine's UN membership bid in UNSC vote

US has vetoed a widely supported Palestine's UN membership bid in Security Council despite growing international distress over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Thursday's vote came more than six months into Israel's military invasion in the besieged Palestinian territory that has left nearly 34,000 Palestinians dead — mostly babies, women and children — and wounded over 76,770.

The draft resolution, which was introduced by Algeria and "recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations," received 12 votes in favour, two abstentions and one against.

Palestine's presidency slammed Washington's action, calling it "unfair, unethical and unjustified."

"Granting Palestine full membership at the United Nations will lift some of the historic injustice that succeeding Palestinian generations have been subjected to," special Palestinian Authority envoy Ziad Abu Amr told the Council ahead of the crucial vote.

"It will open wide prospects before a true peace based on justice."

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi chimed in: "There is no security as long as the Israeli injustice continues to deny the humanity of the Palestinian people and the right to life, freedom, dignity, security and statehood."

Before the vote, US deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said the United States has "been very clear consistently that premature actions in New York — even with the best intentions — will not achieve statehood for the Palestinian people."

While US says it backs a two-state solution, far-right Israeli government's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several of his ministers have rejected Palestine's statehood.

Thursday's resolution would have recommended that the 193-member General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations.

Some 140 countries have already recognised the state of Palestine, so its admission would have been approved.

This is the second Palestinian attempt to become a full member of the United Nations, and it comes as Israel's war on Gaza, now in its seventh month, has put the more than 75-year-old Israel-Palestine conflict arising from Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands at the centre stage.