The Palestinian Authority will go to the United Nations Security Council and seek full membership in the world body next week, despite the looming threat of a U.S. veto, a Palestinian official said on Tuesday.

The announcement was made by Mohammed Shtayyeh, a senior member of Fatah's central committee, at a news conference in Ramallah on Tuesday.

His announcement would seem to end months of speculation about the PA's diplomatic strategy.

“We are going to the United Nations, we are going to the Security Council,” Shtayyeh said. “We are going to seek full membership based on 1967 borders.”

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority (PA) president, will deliver a speech in Ramallah on Friday night outlining the bid.

Full recognition would allow Palestine to vote at the UN, and to join the International Criminal Court and other world bodies.

The PA will have little trouble securing the required two-thirds majority at the General Assembly; more than 120 nations have already promised to support the bid, according to Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator.

But the White House and various other U.S. officials have already pledged to veto the Palestinian bid, and it cannot proceed without Security Council approval.

In that case, the PA could still pursue “non-member observer status,” which would give it diplomatic standing on a par with the Vatican. But it's unclear what, if anything, would change after that upgrade. Still, some Palestinian officials have urged the PA to avoid the U.S. veto and go directly to the General Assembly.

Next steps uncertain