By Erol Avdovic
UNITED NATIONS
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned of the risk of "an all-out escalation" of conflict in Gaza amid Israel's three-day-old offensive and called for a ceasefire between Israelis and Palestinians.
More than 80 Gazans have been killed since Israel's operation began Tuesday, following a rise in tensions after three Israeli teenagers were found murdered last month and a Palestinian teenager was killed days later in a suspected revenge attack.
Israeli jets have carried out air attacks while Hamas has reportedly fired rockets into Tel Aviv and as far north as Haifa, 130km away from Gaza.
Ban said: "It is unacceptable for citizens on both sides to permanently live in fear of the next aerial attack.
"It pains me -- and it should pain us all -- to be reliving circumstances that are all too reminiscent of the two most recent wars in Gaza."
He said the threat of an Israeli ground offensive was "palpable" and said an escalation was "preventable only if Hamas stops rocket firing (rockets)."
He said it was "more urgent than ever to try to find common ground for a return to calm and a cease-fire understanding."
Ban told the council that more than 550 rockets had been fired at Israel from Gaza in recent days -- while there were more than 500 Israeli air strikes.
The UN Security Council discussed the latest developments with Israeli and Palestinian representatives, but failed to come up with a unanimous press or presidential statement.
Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the UN's permanent observer of the State of Palestine, called the Israeli action in Gaza a "military aggression" against his people.
He described the Israeli actions as "another barrage of death, destruction, trauma and terror, which is being perpetrated willfully and maliciously" against Palestinians.
Saying the attack was happening before the eyes of the world, he said Israel "persists with its near five-decade-long belligerent military occupation."
"This is illegal," Mansour declared.
He said: "We call on the Security Council to act immediately to protect civilian lives, which are being lost and destroyed with each passing minute of the Israeli military aggression" and urged the body "to stop the bleeding in Occupied Palestine" and revive the "dying hopes" of his people.
He added: “A firm message must be sent by the council to Israel to immediately cease its aggressions against the Palestinian people and to abide by its obligations under international law.
"Moreover, it is high-time that Israel, the occupying power, be held accountable for its countless human rights violations and war crimes, including the killing of Palestinian civilians."
Meanwhile, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a press conference in Washington D.C. on Thursday: "Because of the indiscriminate attacks from Hamas and the rocket fire that's coming in ... Israel is exercising its right to self-defense.
"Nobody wants to see a ground invasion. That's why it's so important for Hamas to stop the rocket fire against Israeli citizens immediately."
According to the UN, Israel's air attacks have killed 88 Palestinians, mostly civilians, while 339 people have been injured.
A total of 150 houses have been destroyed and 900 people left homeless.
*Anadolu Agency correspondent Michael Hernandez contributed to this report from Washington.
www.aa.com.tr/en
