UNITED NATIONS, United States, Nov 14 (AFP): The UN Security Council met behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip but there was no agreement on how to address the crisis, diplomats said.
Kuwait, which represents Arab countries at the council, and Bolivia requested the meeting following the worst flareup in Gaza since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.
Addressing reporters after the 50-minute meeting, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the council was "paralyzed" and had "failed to shoulder its responsibility" to take action to end the violence.
"There is one country that is not allowing discussion at the council," Mansour told reporters, in a reference to the United States, which has taken a pro-Israeli stance under President Donald Trump.
There was no statement from the council on the crisis. Such statements are agreed by consensus by all 15 council members.
Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said the majority of council members were of the view that the top UN body "should do something" and some suggested a visit to the region, but no decision was taken.
Palestinian militant groups including Hamas, which rules Gaza, issued a joint statement earlier announcing an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel.
The groups said they would abide by the truce as long as Israel did the same, but there was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.
Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon earlier said "we will not accept a call for both sides to exercise restraint" and laid the blame for the violence squarely on the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have announced an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Israel after a severe escalation of violence threatened to descend into full-blown war.
The groups, including Hamas, said in a statement on Tuesday they would abide by the ceasefire as long as Israel did the same.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military have yet to comment on the announcement. Hardline defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said he did not support stopping the strikes.
The flare-up, which saw seven Gazans killed in 24 hours as the Israeli aerial bombardment flattened buildings and sent fireballs and plumes of smoke into the sky, was the worst between Israel and Palestinian militants since a 2014 war.
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