Ban asks UN to help on ceasefire in Gaza

United Nations, Jan 05, 2009: United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has asked the divided Security Council and the world community to help bring a "speedy" end to escalating crisis in the Middle East. Ban will also meet with Arab ministers, who are here to press for the passage of the Libyan draft resolution in the Council.

As the death toll among Palestinians rose to more than 500 and Israel showed no signs of halting its ground invasion of Gaza, Ban decided to convene a meeting of his top advisers and recalled his Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry from Jerusalem for a first hand briefing.

But the Libyan draft, which condemns Israeli invasion and calls for immediate halt to the military action by Tel Aviv, has been described as "one-sided" and "unacceptable" by the United States.

The US has blocked an attempt to pass in the Security Council to express serious concern over the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza after eight days of air strikes and to call for an immediate ceasefire "Given the crucial juncture at which we have arrived in the search for a ceasefire, I appeal to all members of the international community to display the unity and commitment required to bring this escalating crisis to an end," Ban said.

But American deputy Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, who blocked any action by the Council Saturday, has made it clear that Washington regards Hamas, which rules Gaza, as the "root cause" of the current trouble and must stop firing rockets into southern Israel.

Tel Aviv was only exercising the right of self defense and trying to protect its citizens, he had said.

(Agencies)