A United Nations report says the Palestinian Authority is ready to operate as a state.

The report states that while the Palestinians have made advances in areas like education, health and infrastructure, it will be hard for them to make progress toward a state because of Israeli occupation in the area.

"The key constraints to the existence and successful functioning of the institutions of a potential state of Palestine arise primarily from the persistence of occupation and the unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the U.N. report claims.

Palestinian leaders plan to ask the U.N. General Assembly in September for statehood recognition on all the territory Israel occupied in 1967, including Gaza. The assembly is expected to approve the measure.
     
CBN News will provide an in depth look at this issue on "The 700 Club," April 15. Be sure to check CBNNews.com on Friday for that story.