ROME (Reuters) -- Italy will support a United Nations resolution on Thursday giving Palestine the status of a "non-member state", officials said.

A government statement said the move was in line with Italy's support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The UN vote will implicitly recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

The Italian statement said Prime Minister Mario Monti had telephoned both President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explain the decision, which is opposed by the United States, Israel and a handful of other states.