CAIRO, Dec 22 (Aswat Masriya) - The Israeli government reportedly asked Egypt to delay a U.N. Security Council vote on a draft resolution regarding settlements, sources told Reuters. 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Obama administration on Thursday to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution drafted by Egypt.

The resolution calls for an immediate halt to settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians want for a state. The voting was expected to take place later on Thursday.

Mohamed Goma'a, researcher at Ahram Centre for Political and Social Studies (ACPSS), told Aswat Masriya that it was an important step, even though it is not likely that the UNSC will actually vote on anything against Israel.

While there has been close cooperation between Egypt and Israel, as well as an apparent amity between Trump and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, it does not mean that Egypt will not take a stand against the illegal settlements of Israel, Goma'a said.

The resolution would demand Israel "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem."

In 2011, the United States vetoed a draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements. Israel has repeatedly relied on the U.S. administration to support its claims inside the Security Council, as verbally expressed previously by Israeli officials themselves.