RAMALLAH, West Bank - A draft resolution prepared by the Palestinians will ask the UN Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal and call for a full freeze in their construction.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft on Wednesday. It calls settlements a "major obstacle to the achievement of peace." It does not call for sanctions against Israel, and urges both sides to continue negotiations toward a final peace agreement.
With U.S.-backed peace efforts deadlocked for more than three months, the Palestinians are pressing forward with the resolution as part of a broader effort to step up international pressure on Israel.
Negotiations broke down in late September over disagreements over continued Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
