UN closer to resolution on Gaza

The UN Security Council appears to have overcome its divisions and is poised to vote unanimously for a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Chances of the resolution being agreed appeared to recede earlier when new disagreements emerged in New York between Arab states and Western powers.

But it seems a resolution will now pass after a short debate.

Thirteen days of fighting between Israel and Hamas have left an estimated 765 Palestinians and 14 Israelis dead.

Earlier, a UN agency halted aid operations in Gaza citing danger to its workers from Israeli attacks.

The suspension would continue "until the Israeli authorities can guarantee our safety and security", the UN's relief agency Unrwa said.

It came after one person was killed and two hurt when a fork-lift truck on a UN aid mission came under Israeli tank fire at Gaza's Erez crossing.

Responding to the suspension, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel fully supported the work of the UN and other humanitarian agencies in Gaza.

Arab criticism

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner spent the day in intense talks with Arab foreign ministers in New York.

"The British Government has been calling from Day 1 - in the United Nations - for an immediate halt to the violence," Mr Miliband said.

"But tonight - at last - the United Nations is speaking clearly with one voice. It's speaking clearly for a ceasefire, clearly for action on smuggling of arms, clearly on the opening of the crossings.

"And it's trying to speak up for the people of the Middle East, whether they live in Gaza or in Israel, because, in the end, they're going to have to live next door to each other."

The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at the UN says the difficulties arose soon after the US, Britain and France backed down in the face of Arab criticism that only a resolution, not a statement, would do.

There appears to have been a compromise on the wording of calls for an immediate ceasefire and on action to stop the smuggling of weapons through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza, our correspondent adds.

Israel wants to stop rocket attacks on southern Israel and to stop Hamas smuggling weapons into Gaza via Egypt, while Hamas says any ceasefire deal must include an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza.

Efforts have continued to broker a full ceasefire - a senior Israeli official is in Cairo to hear details of a plan put forward by Egypt and France.

A Hamas delegation is expected in the Egyptian capital at some stage for parallel "technical" talks, Egyptian diplomats said.

Early on Thursday, at least three rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, prompting Israel to reply with artillery and raising fears that the conflict might spread.

The UN's relief agency Unwra said it was "with great regret" that it had been forced to make a difficult decision temporarily to halt aid deliveries.

"Our installations have been hit, our workers have been killed in spite of the fact that the Israeli authorities have the co-ordinates of our facilities and that all our movements are co-ordinated with the Israeli army," said Unrwa spokesman Chris Gunness.

The International Committee of the Red Cross also accused Israel of failing to fulfil its duty to help wounded civilians in Gaza.

source:news.bbc.co.uk