Summary
Cease-fire? UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The Palestinians on Monday urged the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate end to Israeli attacks in Gaza and a permanent cease- fire, including international border monitors and an international force to protect civilians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to arrive in New York today and hopes the council will adopt a revamped Arab-backed resolution in the afternoon, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki told reporters. He said between seven and nine Arab foreign ministers are flying to New York, along with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, to show Arab support for a solution to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Malki said the proposed resolution would end "the Israeli aggression" in Gaza, would open all border crossings, deploy international observers at the crossings and authorize an international force to protect civilians. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said the observers should be able to close tunnels that are used to smuggle weapons to Hamas from Egypt. Malki said an observer's role is to monitor what's happening, though he agreed one objective of the package is to shut down the tunnels. Late Saturday, the United States blocked approval of a Security Council statement calling for a cease-fire and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence after Israeli tanks and artillery began a ground assault on Gaza. U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said then that the United States saw no need for the statement because Hamas was not abiding by an earlier Security Council call for an end to rocket and mortar attacks on Israel. Abbas' Palestinian Authority offered the new draft resolution. The Palestinian Authority has no political power in Gaza and is a rival to Hamas, which is not directly represented in the U.N. discussions. Malki said the Palestinian Authority has heard from Hamas that it was rocketing Israel to get the Israelis to lift their siege of Gaza and reopen the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. If a Security Council resolution succeeds in reopening border crossings into Gaza, allowing in humanitarian aid and deploying international monitors, he said, "I think we are doing exactly what Hamas tried to do through rockets and did not achieve it." Malki said the revised draft resolution was being discussed with the Bush administration. "We are here with an optimism that there will be no U.S. objection at all," he said. News You can use
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel's expanding ground and air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers took a heavy civilian toll Monday, including three young brothers reported killed by a crashing shell and wounded who filled hospital corridors.See the full content of this document
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Gaza Civilian Toll Rises
Diplomats and European leaders raced around the region in search of a cease-fire, but with Palestinian rocket fire continuing, Israel said it won't stop its crippling 10-day assault until "peace and tranquility" are achieved in southern Israeli towns in the line of fire.
The operation's ground phase, which began Saturda...See the full content of this document
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