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A Palestinian-backed resolution to end Israeli occupation failed to pass in the UN Security Council on Tuesday, falling one vote short of the nine “yes” votes required for adoption by the council. The resolution, which called for the end of Israeli occupation within three years, received eight “yes” votes, two “no” votes from the United States and Australia, as well as five abstentions. The U.S., Israel’s closest ally, reiterated its stance on opposing the resolution in favor of striking a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine that did not involve a timetable. “We voted against this resolution not because we are comfortable with the status quo. We voted against it because... peace must come from hard compromises that occur at the negotiating table,” U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said.