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Security Council responds to Israeli strikes on Gaza

On Wednesday night the U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting following Israel's new offensive strikes against Palestinian militants in Gaza. An Israeli strike was responsible for killing the commander of the Hamas militants.

The U.N.听听met in a closed emergency meeting on Wednesday night to discuss Israeli strikes against the听听as听听threatened a wider offensive in the Palestinian enclave to stem rocket salvoes by听听militants.

Diplomats said U.N. political affairs chief听听was briefing the 15-nation council. Israeli and Palestinians envoys will also have a chance to speak.

Separately, U.N. Secretary-General听's press office said in two separate statements that he spoke on the telephone with Israeli Prime Minister听听and President Mohamed Mursi of听.

"(Ban) expressed his concern (to Netanyahu) about the deteriorating situation in听听and the听, which includes an alarming escalation of indiscriminate rocket fire from听听into听听and the targeted killing by听听of a听听military operative in听," the U.N. said.

Ban also voiced his expectation that "Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed."

He also discussed with Mursi "the need to prevent any further deterioration," the听听said in a second statement.

U.S. President听听also spoke with Netanyahu and Mursi and reiterated U.S. support for听's right to self-defense in light of rocket attacks from听, the White House said.

"The president urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties. The two agreed that听听needs to stop its attacks on听听to allow the situation to de-escalate," the听听statement said.

听launched a new major offensive against Palestinian听听militants in听听on Wednesday, killing听' military commander in an air strike and threatening an invasion of the enclave that the Islamist group said would "open the gates of hell."

'MALICIOUS ONSLAUGHT'

The emergency听听meeting came at the request of听,听听and the Palestinians.

"Once again the international community is witness to听's malicious onslaught, using the most lethal military means and illegal measures against the defenseless Palestinian civilian population," the听's U.N. envoy,听, told the听.

He urged the council to act. "A direct firm message must be sent to听听to cease immediately its military campaign against the Palestinian people and to abide ... by its obligations under international law," Mansour said, according to a text of his statement distributed to reporters.

"The Israeli occupying forces are now mobilizing on the ground as we speak," Mansour said. "Fear and panic are spreading among the Palestinian civilian population."

The militant group听, not the听, controls听.

Speaking to reporters, Israeli Ambassador听听urged the international community to condemn "indiscriminate rocket fire against Israeli citizens - children, women." He was referring to escalating Palestinian rocket attacks from听.

A group of Arab ambassadors appeared before reporters ahead of the council meeting. Speaking on their behalf, Sudanese Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman urged the council to condemn听's "barbaric heinous attack."

In a letter to Indian Ambassador听, president of the 15-nation council this month, Mansour said the council should also call for an to "extrajudicial killing."

Prosor described the听听military commander killed by听,听, as a "mass murderer" who had been planning fresh attacks against Israeli citizens.

It was unclear what a听听meeting would achieve since the 15-nation body is generally deadlocked on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envoys say is due to the U.S. determination to protect Israeli.

A new听听war has loomed for months as waves of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli strikes have grown more intense and frequent.

Mansour said earlier the Israeli action was intended to draw attention away from the Palestinians' plan to seek an upgrade of its observer status at the听听from that of an "entity" to a "non-member state," implicitly recognizing Palestinian statehood.

听and the听听have made clear they would oppose the Palestinian upgrade, which would give it the right to join international bodies like the听, where it could file legal complaints against.

U.N. diplomats said a vote on the Palestinian request was tentatively scheduled for Nov. 29. A senior Western diplomat said the Palestinians would easily secure 120 to 130 votes out of the 193-nation听, which would ensure the success of their upgraded status at the听.