Mahmoud Abbas and Vladimir Putin (file)
Mahmoud Abbas and Vladimir Putin (file)Flash 90

Russia said on Thursday it intends to support the draft resolution submitted by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to the United Nations Security Council which would set a deadline for Israel to withdraw from Judea and Samaria.

"As far as we understand the Palestinians, the vote may take place shortly although they have yet to set the precise date. We have repeatedly said that we will vote for this resolution," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency.

"We would like to see a text that will satisfy all the 15 members of the UN Security Council and be truly oriented towards practical results, such as the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, the beginning of the negotiating process and the resolution of all problems, he added.

"In our opinion, it is important that all members of the Security Council support it [this resolution]," stressed Gatilov.

The text of the draft resolution calls for Israel to “end the occupation” - that is, to withdraw from Judea and Samaria - by 2017.

The draft resolution would set a 12-month deadline for wrapping up negotiations on a final settlement and the end of 2017 as the time frame for completing an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria.

According to Gatilov, the resolution has been formally presented to the UN Security Council as a document. "This means a vote may be held in 24 hours. The Palestinians have formal grounds to demand a vote any moment," the senior Russian diplomat said.

Consultations on the draft resolution continue between delegations, Gatilov added.

Earlier this week, diplomatic sources estimated that the vote on the unilateral resolution is likely to be postponed.

According to the sources, the PA wants to postpone the vote on the resolution because it realized that its current wording is unacceptable to countries such as France and Luxembourg, two countries that the PA had hoped would support the resolution.

Nevertheless, PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday that he believed the Security Council would vote on the resolution even before the end of 2014.