UN Security Council holds emergency meeting over tensions between Gaza and Israel

The UN Security Council held a late night emergency meeting Wednesday onescalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

The 15-nation council held closed talks with the Israeli and Palestinianambassadors to the United Nations. The major powers and United Nations have allurged both sides to pull back from all-out conflict.

Egypt had urged the Security Council meeting after Israel carried out morethan 20 air strikes and sea artillery attacks on Gaza, killing the militarycommander for Hamas, which controls the territory. Palestinian UN envoy RiyadMansour said at least nine people were killed on Wednesday.

Arab ambassadors said they wanted the council to condemn Israel.

The Arab group of nations want the council "to condemn that barbaricattack" and "to send a strong message to call for a cessation ofhostilities," said Sudan's UN envoy Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, current chairmanof the Arab bloc.

"We want the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and tofind an immediate way to stop this aggression against our people in the GazaStrip," said Mansour.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the militaryoperation could be expanded and the country's UN ambassador Ron Prosor saidthat "indiscriminate" rocket fire from Gaza had forced Israel's hand.

Gaza "is a strategic threat against the state of Israel, missilesflying in to major cities in Israel," Prosor told reporters.

"This is not finished yet," added the Israeli envoy. "We haveshown restraint but if this continues, Israel will do everything that it takesto defend its own citizens, like any other country would do."