U.S. Haggles With Arabs Over U.N. Action In Gaza

Israel and the United States say these issues, which led Israel to start its offensive on Dec. 27, are at the heart of the crisis.

Arab ministers haggled with Western powers on Thursday over U.N. action to end violence in Gaza, pressing for a binding resolution while the United States sought a more diluted response.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the foreign ministers of France and Britain stayed on an extra day in New York to push their case with Arab ministers, who face mounting anger on the street at home if they return without a strong U.N. response to Israel's invasion of Gaza last month.

"We believe there is still work to do," Rice said after late-night discussions between Western and Arab ministers at U.N. headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

As diplomats argued over whether to adopt a resolution, violence continued on the ground. Israel pressed its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, a U.N. aid agency said it was suspending its operations there and a rocket salvo from Lebanon slightly wounded two people in northern Israel.

The United States and its allies want a presidential statement to emerge from the U.N. Security Council, far weaker action than a robust U.N. resolution being pushed by Arab states, which Israel strongly opposes.

The American, British and French ministers conferred at the United Nations on Thursday morning before a fresh meeting with Arab ministers to try to hammer out a compromise.

Diplomats said Libya, the only Arab state on the 15-nation council, had amended its draft overnight to include a specific reference to rocket firing into Israel by Palestinian groups including Hamas and to arms smuggling into Gaza.

Israel and the United States say these issues, which led Israel to start its offensive on Dec. 27, are at the heart of the crisis.

ARABS WANT CEASEFIRE NOW

Arab officials said they were determined to push ahead with a resolution and wanted a vote on Thursday.

Asked about the risk of a U.S. veto, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters: "If there will be a veto, then so be it. But let's hope there will not be."

Egyptian Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz insisted on Wednesday a resolution was necessary to halt the fighting in which more than 700 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.

"We do not accept the presidential statement as it stands alone, meaning that the ministers can ... go home and arrive to find the fighting still going on," he told reporters.

Another Arab diplomat, who declined to be named, said the United States was holding back on calling for an immediate ceasefire, but rather referring to a "durable and sustainable" truce which would take longer to draw up.

"Our view is get a ceasefire now," said the Arab diplomat.

Other diplomats said in view of the firm Arab line, one issue was whether Washington could accept a resolution, albeit one differently phrased from the Libyan draft, which "demands an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip."

The nonbinding statement drafted by the three Western powers contains no demands, but "stresses the urgent need for an immediate and durable ceasefire." It also voices strong concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Also under discussion is an Egyptian ceasefire proposal between Hamas and Israel, which the United States backs while trying to include its own elements.

The Egyptian plan, partly brokered by France, calls for an end to the rocket attacks on Israel, the opening of Gaza border crossings and an end to weapons smuggling into Gaza.

Hamas said it was looking at the Egyptian plan while Israel said there was a broad understanding of the "general principles" outlined in it. It sent an envoy to Cairo to discuss how the plan might be implemented, officials said.