Gaza Strikes Resume As UN Calls For Ceasefire

The Israeli military says it has carried out three airstrikes on Gaza, ending a 12-hour lull in fighting at the start of a major Muslim holiday.

Fighter jets reportedly hit two missile launchers and a rocket factory, in what a defence spokesman said was a response to earlier Hamas rockets fired into Israel.

It came as the UN Security Council called for "an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza following an emergency session in New York.

The council adopted a presidential statement - one step below a legally-binding resolution - urging Israel and Hamas "to accept and fully implement the humanitarian ceasefire".

The present conflict between Israel and Hamas began on July 8

A 24-hour temporary truce, agreed ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid, had been due to last until 2pm (noon UK time).

However, Sky's Sherine Tadros, in Gaza City, said: "There's an almost constant thud of artillery fire coming from an area of Gaza that's been pounded pretty hard.

"There certainly isn't a ceasefire here. At best, what we have seen is a lull in the violence."

Several temporary truces have been observed and broken on a weekend when the Palestinian death toll topped 1,000.

Some 43 Israeli soldiers have also been killed since their military operation began on July 8, while three civilians have died from rocket fire into Israel.

As well as calling for an immediate truce, the Security Council statement set out a longer-term aim of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, "with secure and recognised borders".

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian representative to the UN, said he was "disappointed" a formal resolution demanding Israel withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip had not been agreed.

"They should have adopted a resolution a long time ago to condemn this aggression and to call for this aggression to be stopped immediately," he said.

Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor added: "Miraculously (the statement) doesn't mention Hamas. It doesn't mention the firing of rockets.

"You don't have to have the IQ of a rocket scientist to understand that if rockets are falling on you, you are allowed to defend yourself."

On Sunday, Barack Obama called Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to press for an immediate truce.

The US President said Israel had a right to defend itself but reiterated his country's "serious and growing concern" about the loss of life on both sides and the "worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza".

Tadros said more than 160,000 civilians had sought refuge in dozens of temporary shelters and were suffering from major food and water shortages.

"People think the best possible situation is a continuation of this low intensity violence, rather than an escalation, which is what everyone is afraid of in the absence of a ceasefire, permanent or otherwise," she added.

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