GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Palestinian Authority's postponement of its submittal of a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council condemning Israeli settlement activities until after the US presidential elections has annoyed Palestinians.

Some believe that now is the best time to present such a draft resolution, which was supposed to be submitted at the end of September, in light of an international condemnation of Israeli settlement activity, which expanded by 40% during the first half of 2016 compared with the second half of 2015.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had announced in his speech at the UN headquarters Sept. 22 that the PA will submit to the Security Council a draft resolution condemning Israel's settlement activities and settler terror against the Palestinians, saying that such practices obstructed international efforts to achieve a two-state solution.

Abbas said, "Despite the Security Council's adoption of 12 resolutions condemning Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, none of these resolutions has been implemented, encouraging Israel to continue pursuing its plans for the seizure of more Palestinian land in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with impunity." He said he hoped no one would cast a veto and called on the United Nations to protect the Palestinian people.