UNITED NATIONS -- The United States Friday night vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution proposed by Syria that would have condemned Israel for the murders of several UN employees in the Palestinian occupied territories.

Of the 15 council members, 12 voted for the Syrian resolution and two - Bulgaria and Cameroon - abstained.

The United States, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, weilds an absolute veto over any council action.

The other four are France, Russia, Britain and China.

The Syrian draft resolution was in response to the death of several United Nations employees killed by Israeli occupational forces" as well as the destruction of a World Food Program warehouse and its contents of 537 tons of food aid in the Gaza Strip.

Syria had been pressing the resolution since the start of the week, but the United States had been blocking it.

The latest draft resolution proposed by Syria and released to the press, condemns the "killings and destruction" by Israeli troops in the Palestinian territories, including the November 22 death of British UN worker who was shot by Israeli forces at a refugee camp.

The draft resolution expressed "grave concern at the killing by the Israeli occupying forces of several United Nations employees, including the recent killing of one international staff member in the Jenin refugee camp".