Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to call for an alternative to US-mediated negotiations with Israel. He will be addressing the United Nations Security Council later today for the first time in nearly 10 years.

The Palestinians have been critical of Washington's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, claiming this disqualifies the US from its traditional role as lead mediator. Senior Palestinian official Nasser al-Qudwa said on Monday that Abbas would be looking to gain support for a multilateral initiative, with all options on the table. In a statement ahead of the visit, Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told state media that a "new phase of struggle has started".