Egypt has decided to delay a United Nations vote on a text condemning Israeli settlements in occupied territory after US President-elect Donald Trump intervened.

The decision by Cairo was reached after Israel asked Trump to intervene on their behalf.

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Israel contacted Trump's transition team after learning that President Barack Obama's administration might abstain in the Security Council vote.

According to a U.S official, the move by the Obama administration would have allowed Egypt's motion to pass.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisis's office confirmed that he and Trump discussed the issue in a phone call.

A statement from al-Sisi's office said that the two leaders had agreed on "The importance of giving a chance for the new American administration to deal in a comprehensive way with the different aspects of the Palestinian situation."

In the resolution that it had submitted, Egypt had called for Israel to stop settling its people on the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Egypt believes that the settlements are a breach of international law.

The resolution was to have been put to vote on Thursday, but Egypt withdrew it a few hours before the meeting started.

Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the US, expressed his gratitude to Trump by tweeting: "Israel deeply appreciates the clear and unequivocal call of President-elect Donald Trump to veto the anti-Israeli resolution at the UN."

The US holds veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has traditionally sheltered Israel from condemnatory resolutions by voting against them.

Obama has long been opposed to Israeli settlement building on the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Speculations have been rife that in its final months in office, the Obama administration might allow a resolution against the Israeli settlements to pass at the UN.

On Thursday, Trump had urged the Security Council to shoot down the motion:

"Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties," Trump said, adding that imposition of terms by the United Nations will not offer a solution.

He added that such impositions would put Israel in a very poor negotiating position and would be extremely unfair.

TagsIsrael, UN Security Council, donald trump, Egypt, Barack Obama