A vote on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity was delayed amid an apparent intervention by US President-elect Donald Trump.
According to The Times of Israel, the Egyptian-drafted resolution looked to condemn "all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian Territory".
It also looked to express "grave concern that continuing Israeli settlement activities are dangerously imperilling the viability of the two-State solution".
The Guardian reports the vote was delayed 'indefinitely', with some reports claiming Israel had pressured diplomats and officials to delay the vote.
Amid suggestions that the US would abstain from voting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "Israelis deeply appreciate one of the great pillars of the US-Israel alliance: the willingness over many years of the US to stand up in the UN and veto anti-Israel resolutions.
"I hope the US won't abandon this policy," he added.
Israeli officials reportedly contacted the Trump transition team in response to the uncertainty over the Obama administration's intentions over the vote.
Mr Trump yesterday spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi about the issue, although it remains unclear if the call took place before or after the decision to delay the vote.
In a statement quoted by Reuters, a spokesperson for the Egyptian President said: "During the call, they discussed regional affairs and developments in the Middle East and in that context the draft resolution in front of the Security Council on Israeli settlement.
"The presidents agreed on the importance of affording the new US administration the full chance to deal with all dimensions of the Palestinian case with a view of achieving a full and final settlement."
Earlier, the US President-elect had said: “The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed.
“As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations. This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.”
