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The Palestinian leadership has said it planned to submit a resolution to the UN Security Council setting a two-year deadline for Israel to end its occupation, as US Secretary of State John Kerry launched a flurry of European meetings to revive the stalled peace process.
Washington's diplomatic manoeuvring comes amid a European-led drive towards a recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.
In the past, the US has consistently used its power of veto at the UN to block moves it sees as anti-Israel, but US officials said Kerry was now seeking to learn more about the European position.
Seizing the momentum, a senior Palestinian official said they would present a draft UN resolution in coming days on ending the Israeli occupation by late 2016.
"The Palestinian leadership took a decision to go to the Security Council next Wednesday to vote on their project to end the occupation," senior Palestine Liberation Organisation member Wassel Abu Yussef told AFP after a meeting in Ramallah.
The Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment ahead of today's meeting in Rome between Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Kerry kicked off his trip with three hours of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Rome late yesterday which focused primarily on recent developments in the Middle East, including about possible action at the UN Security Council," a senior State Department official said.
"I believe the Middle East issue is crucial for making sure that we don't allow the situation to degrade further," Lavrov said as he met with Kerry in the US ambassador's residence in Rome.
Since the collapse of Kerry's peace bid in April and the 50-day war in the Gaza Strip in the summer, there has been growing international concern about rising Israeli-Palestinian tensions amid a slew of attacks.
After Netanyahu called snap elections in March, some Europeans have pointed to a narrow window of opportunity to push a Palestinian resolution at the UN Security Council.
Washington has long opposed unilateral Palestinian moves to win recognition for a state of Palestine at the UN, but US officials said they drew a distinction between a unilateral step, and an effort to draw up a multilateral resolution at the Security Council, which would have the backing of many nations.
There is a growing US recognition too of European impatience with the current status quo, as several European parliaments in recent weeks have called on their governments to recognise a state of Palestine.
