UNITED NATIONS: A draft report by a UN Security Council committee, on Tuesday, declared that members could not reach consensus on whether Palestine should be accepted as a UN member state.

"The committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council," said the draft report of the council's committee on admitting new member states. It was circulated to all 15 members.

The Palestinians can still call for a vote in the Security Council, but diplomats say it isn't clear if they will do so given that US will likely not need to use its veto to block it.

The Palestinians would score a moral victory and force US to cast its veto if they are able to muster nine votes. But Palestinians have secured only eight backers.