海角大神

A senior聽United Nations聽official on Monday urged聽Israel聽to exercise restraint in its search for three missing teenagers it accuses the聽Hamas聽Islamist group of kidnapping, while warning the聽Security Council聽that violence in the region could escalate.

Israel's army聽said it had detained another 37 Palestinians overnight as it searched and extended a crackdown on聽Hamas, which has denied having any knowledge of the missing teens. The聽Israeli militarysays it has detained 361 people since the Israeli students went missing on June 12.

"As the search for the missing youth continues, we call for restraint in carrying out the security operations in strict compliance with international law, and avoiding punishing individuals for offenses they have not personally committed," U.N. political affairs chief聽Jeffrey Feltman听蝉补颈诲.

"The rising death toll as a result of Israeli security operations in the聽West Bank聽is alarming," he told the Security Council during a monthly meeting on the聽Middle East.

The crisis has aggravated tensions in the聽West Bank聽which, along with East聽Jerusalem聽and the聽Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, the Palestinians want in a future state.

After his public briefing, Feltman spoke to the council behind closed doors. He warned the 15-nation body there could be a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against聽Israel.

"The situation on the ground is very bad," Feltman was quoted as saying by a council diplomat in the room. "I fear we might get to the point of a third intifada."

Other diplomats confirmed Feltman's closed-door warning.

Council members also attempted to agree on a statement to the press to condemn the alleged kidnapping of the Israelis.聽Russia's U.N. Ambassador聽Vitaly Churkin聽presented a draft statement but diplomats present at the meeting said both聽Jordan聽and the聽United States聽were dissatisfied and proposed amendments.

It soon became clear, diplomats said, that the U.S. and Jordanian delegations would be unable to agree on a mutually acceptable statement to the media. Washington,聽Israel's traditional protector on the council, wanted no condemnation of聽Israel聽while聽Jordan聽demanded a tough rebuke of the Jewish state.

"Jordan聽wanted a condemnation of collective punishment by聽Israel聽... and a call for both sides to exercise restraint," a council diplomat told Reuters.

But such a statement was not meant to be.

"Unfortunately members of the聽Security Council聽were not able to find common ground," Churkin told reporters. "Some delegates want to have very strong language condemning聽Israel, another delegation did not want to have any reference to聽Israel聽at all."

Council statements must be approved unanimously.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador聽Ron Prosor聽issued a statement after the council meeting defending Israeli actions.

"Some nations behave as if聽Israel聽should roll out the welcome mat for聽Hamas," he said. "Israel聽will not allow this terrorist group to trample on its citizens. Israelis are acting in self-defense."

The Palestinian observer聽Riyad Mansour聽condemned the "massive aggression against our people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory." (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)