United Nations Radio

The US has called for quick Security Council action in Gaza but can't say when

Zalmay Khalilzad, US Permanent Representative to the UN

Following the call by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Amr Moussa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League for swift Security Council action on the fighting in Gaza, US UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States wants to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible. But the Ambassador said "practical arrangements" have to be put into place first.

"We share their concern about the urgency of the situation. That we see the suffering, the fighting, the loss of life on both Israeli and Palestinian side. We want this conflict to end as quickly as possible. But in order to get an enduring resolution - because we all want that, an enduring solution to the problem, an enduring ceasefire - that practical arrangements have to be put in place in which everyone has confidence that it will be maintained, it will respected, it will be observed."

The Ambassador says while the US favors quick action it didn't want to give Arab leaders false expectations about the time frame for that action.

The US delegation objected to a draft Security Council resolution on Saturday citing Hamas rocket fire as a cause of the continued conflict.

A week after the Israeli ground offensive began, more than 500 are reported dead and over 2,500 injured.

Gail Walker, United Nations.

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