Open debate on Gaza after US blocks Security Council statement

The debate would break a week of silence in the Council.

"The idea is for the Security Council to send the message, which helps calm the situation, which asks for parties to de-escalate and to cease violence, that is the spirit in which we are working," said Hardeep Singh Puri, Indian Ambassador to the UN.

On Tuesday, it emerged that the US had blocked a Security Council call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel's week-long offensive in Gaza against Hamas, saying a draft press statement "failed to address the root cause of the current escalation."

Both Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine Mission to the UN and the Moroccan Ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Loulichki, said the Security Council must "shoulder its responsibility."

The Council must "adopt whatever measures that they can adopt in order to stop this aggression against our people," Mansour added.

After assassinating Hamas' military chief, Israel has carried out a blistering campaign of air strikes, targeting rocket launchers, storage sites and wanted militants.

The campaign has killed more than 130 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, and wounded hundreds of others.

Five Israelis have been killed by rocket fire, including a soldier and a civilian contractor on Tuesday.

After a day of furious diplomatic efforts involving the US secretary of state, U.N. chief and Egypt's president, a cease-fire deal remained elusive on Tuesday and fighting raged on both sides of the border.

Israeli tanks and gunboats pummelled targets in Gaza in what appeared to be a last-minute burst of fire, while at least 200 rockets were fired into Israel.